Naruto: Wrath of the Emperor
by Snafu the Great
Summary: An alternate, darker version of Rise of The Emperor. Banished following the Uchiha Retrieval Mission and marked for death, Naruto flees the Elemental Countries with Hinata in tow. Now, as Emperor and Empress of the Unified West, Naruto and Hinata plans to bring about Konoha's downfall.
1. Bios: Naruto and Hinata

**Naruto: Wrath of the Emperor**

A Naruto Fanfiction

Original Story 'Naruto: Emperor's Dawn' by ChrisM2011

By Snafu the Great

**Snafu's Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto. With the success of **Rise of the Emperor**, a thought had came into my head. What if things had been done differently? What if all of Konoha save for four of its clans were hostile towards Naruto? What if Hinata had left with him? This is a much darker version of Rise of the Emperor, with Tsunade and Jiraiya being hostile towards Naruto and the Western Empire.

Update: As Naruto wields the Rinnegan, he also knows the Six Paths jutsu (which is the parent jutsu of the Six Paths of Pain), and I have updated his bio as such.

**FILE: UZUMAKI-NAMIKAZE, Naruto**

**Classification:** Jinchuuriki (formerly); Warlord (formerly); Emperor

**Rank:** Sannin-level shinobi, Seiseibushi-level samurai

**Clan:** Uzumaki-Namikaze

**Official Title:** First Sovereign Emperor of the Unified West, His Imperial Majesty, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze

**Nicknames:** The Maverick Emperor, The Crimson Fury of the Empire, Emperor of the Six Paths, The Man in Black, Akatsuki Killer, The Boss, The Chief, Lord Namikaze

**Full Name:** Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze

**Alignment:** Konohagakure no Sato (formerly – banished); Western Empire

**Date of Birth/Age:** October 10/19 years old

**Place of Birth:** Konohagakure no Sato, Fire Country

**Height:** 6'

**Weight: **190 lbs

**Hair:** Reddish-Blonde

**Eyes:** Blue (normal); Purple with ripples (Rinnegan)

**Blood Type:** B

**Parents: **Minato Namikaze, father (deceased); Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, mother (deceased)

**Spouse:** Hinata Namikaze

**Other Relatives:** Jiraiya, godfather (disowned), Tsunade Senju, godmother (disowned); Hiashi Hyuuga, father-in-law

**Elemental Affinity: **All of them

**Bloodline: **Rinnegan

**Summons:** Dragons

**Signature Weapons: **O-katana (Naruto's primary weapon - think Vergil's Yamato sword), Hirashin kunai (both the classic tri-bladed and the all-black kunai with the Hirashin seals carved into the blade). Naruto came across the sword by accident while returning from a successful campaign. It is because of this that gets Naruto interested in learning samurai swordsmanship. The sword has the ability to split into two separate swords (ala Doku's Kitesu), of which Naruto can wield with deadly efficiency.

**Primary Costume: **Modeled after Shang Tsung in the 1st MK flick - white shirt, black vest, pants, longcoat and boots. Also wears a all-black kage-style hat or bandanna with face mask to conceal his identity while traveling abroad.

**Secondary Costume:** Black flak vest, black sleeveless haori with red flame pattern pants and shoes. Black kage-style hat.

**Specialty: **Funijutsu and Taijutsu

**Place of Residence:** Imperial Palace, Kimon (the Imperial Capital); Imperial Summer Palace at South Ichiyama

**Background:**

- Age 0: Became the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails

- Age 6: Enrolls into the Konohagakure Ninja Academy

- Age 12: Graduates with the rank of Genin, assigned to Team 7 with Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno.

- Age 13: Banished from Konoha following the success of the Sasuke Retrieval Mission. Escapes from Fire Country along with Hinata Hyuuga and heads west. Rescues Kumo kunoichi/jinchuuriki Yugito Nii from the Akatsuki and heads for the Western Continent.

- Age 14: Kills the most powerful of the warlords, Rokubungi Oda and takes control of his forces. Begins a campaign to unify the continent and bring about peace. Former Mist swordsman Zabuza Momichi and his partner Haku join Naruto's growing army.

- Age 15: Frees the Kyuubi no Kitsune from the seal, and begins to train under her alongside Hinata. Later trains under Sonshi in samurai swordsmanship and politics.

- Age 16: Defeats the last three warlords at the Battle of South Ichiyama (and marries Hinata in the midst of the battle). The South Ichiyama Treaty ends the Unification Wars with Naruto and Hinata as the sole rulers of the unified lands. With the backing of his army and the people, Naruto is made Emperor of the Western Empire.

- Age 17: Summons Spring Damiyo Koyuki Kazahana, Kazekage Gaara of the Sand and Mizukage Mei Terumi for a secret summit. The four leaders sign a military and trade alliance. Rescues and later grants Kumo jinchuuriki Killer Bee political asylum in the Empire, along with his brother A, the deposed Raikage, having been overthrown by a Oto-backed Raikage. A serves as one of his senior advisers, while Bee...is still Bee. Tracks down the remaining jinchuuriki (Roshi, Han, Utakata and Fu) and protects them from the Akatsuki by offering them asylum within the Empire.

- Age 18: Grants the four clans from Konoha (Hyuuga, Nara, Yamanaka and Akamichi) and a number of jounins who had defected from Konoha citizenship.

- Age 19: Undergoes a personal covert mission to Konohagakure no Sato to retrieve the ashes of his parents...and to add insult to injury, destroyed the Hokage Monument.

- Age 20: Assists Suna in the war against the Akatsuki led by Pein and Madara Uchiha. With the jinchuuriki backing him up as well as the Nine-Tails and a sizable amount of soldiers, Madara and Itachi Uchiha are killed, and the Akatsuki are routed and destroyed. The jinchuuriki are declared national treasures of the Empire.

**Trained By:**

- Kurama - Nine-Tails (Leadership and battle tactics, Taijitsu, Seals and Ninjitsu)

- Zabuza Momichi (Mist-style swordsmanship)

- Sonshi (Samurai swordsmanship, battle tactics, and Political Intrigue)

- Yugito Nii (battle tactics and assassination techniques)

**Favorite Food: **Barbecue

**Likes: **Helping people

**Dislikes:** Konohagakure no Sato, Cell Seven, and his former godparents

**Fighting Style: **Kitsune-style Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, Uzumaki-Namikaze-style Fuinjutsu and Taijutsu (think Krav Maga, Keysi Fighting Method and Karate combined), and a combination of ninja and samurai swordsmanship.

**Skills and Signature Techniques:**

_**- Enhanced Strength and Agility:**_

Through the brutal training he endured at the hands of Kurama, Zabuza Momichi and Yugito Nii, Naruto is now stronger than Tsunade, while he is faster than Rock Lee without the weights

_**- Kenjutsu**_

Zabuza Momichi has been training Naruto in swordsmanship, and he is just as ruthless as his teacher.

_**- Assassination Techniques:**_

An understudy of Yugito Nii alongside Hinata, Naruto is the master of the silent kill.

_**- Samurai Swordsmanship**_

Aside from being a shinobi, Naruto has been trained in the ways of the Samurai by Sonshi, his specialty being the quick-draw.

_**- Flying Thunder God and Flash Step:**_

The technique which made his father famous (or infamous if you're an Iwa shinobi). Rather than the yellow flash which is signature to the Hiraishin, Naruto's version has a crimson flash, earning him the nickname 'The Crimson Fury.' The Flash Step is an updated version of the Hiraishin, with Naruto moving so fast that he leaves a after-image.

_**- Kage Bushin: **_

Aside from the standard version of the technique, Naruto has added exploding clones to his movelist.

_**- Rasengan:**_

Naruto's signature technique. Can destroy anything in its path, if he is using the Rinnegan's power.

_**- Rasenshuriken:**_

Combined with his wind affinity, it attacks the opponent's cells, severing them. Now that he has then Rinnegan, he had added several more variants to the jutsu. The Fire variant reduces anyone caught in it to carbon. The Earth variant can shatter bones and rupture organs.

_**- Chakra Chains:**_

Based on his mother's attack, Naruto uses them to sap the opponent's chakra to the point that they are severely weakened

_**- Deadly Tempest:**_

Inspired by Temari's Kamitachi, Naruto has developed his own version of the technique, using hurricane-force winds to attack. The Wind variant uses supercooled air to numb the opponent, while the Fire variant uses superheated air to burn the opponent.

_**- Chakra Wind Blades:**_

Deadly wind-laced chakra blades that can dismember flesh and destroy nearly anything in its path

_**- Shadow Dancer:**_

Think Morrigan's Darkness Illusion...only with four Shadow Clones

_**- Shinra Tensei and Banshou Ten'in:**_

The signature techniques of anyone wielding the Rinnegan. Shinra Tensei pushes objects away, while the Banshou Ten'in pulls them in.

_**- Demon's Gate:**_

Used to open a massive portal from the Empire to an area of his choosing, as long as he had been there before.

_**- Vajira Slash**_

Similar to Vergil's Dimensional Slash Hyper Combo.

_**- Wrath of the Six Paths:**_

Variant of Nagato's Six Paths of Pain jutsu, only that Naruto does not have the ability to control numerous bodies like Nagato. Naruto can either incorporate the paths into his fighting style, or summon a Rinnegan-powered shadow clone with the path of his choice. The Wrath of the Six Paths puts him on par with Jiraiya's Sage Mode.

**Deva Path:** Naruto's primary path of choice, which allows him to manipulate both attractive and repulsive forces.

**Asura Path:** Inspired by a visit to the Cult of Asura's Temple in Shinoku, Naruto's Asura Path gives him an appearance similar to that of its god (think Naruto does Asura's Wrath). Naruto's first form gives him metallic arms, while the second form adds four more to the total. His strength is increased a hundredfold.

**Human Path:** Naruto's interrogation jutsu. Same as Pain's Human Path, without the soul stealing.

**Animal Path:** Summons Kurama in her fox form to attack.

**Preta Path:** Can absorb chakra and most Ninjitsu, which resupplies Naruto's own chakra reserves. He can also use this to boost another person's chakra reserves, of which he used on Hinata more than once.

**Naraka Path:** The only genjutsu (surprisingly) which Naruto can use. This is for interrogation purposes, as the unlucky victim thinks that he is being judged by the Shinigami.

**Outer Path:** The forbidden path to Naruto. He knows the jutsus which make the Outer Path, but refuses to use them.

**Stats:**

- Ninjutsu: 5

- Taijitsu: 5

- Genjutsu: 5 (can't cast genjutsu, but his henge is undetectable)

- Intelligence: 5

- Strength: 5

- Speed: 5

- Stamina: 5

- Hand-seals: 5

- Total: 40

**Occupation:** Konoha shinobi (formerly); Warlord (formerly); Emperor of the West

**FILE: NAMIKAZE, Hinata**

**Classification:** Shinobi (formerly), Sage, Empress

**Clan:** Hyuuga, Uzumaki-Namikaze (by marriage)

**Rank:** Sannin-level shinobi

**Official Title:** Her Imperial Highness, Empress Consort Hinata Namikaze

**Nicknames:** Hime (Naruto only), Lady Hinata/Lady Namikaze (to others), The Lady, Hime no Kitsune (Princess of Foxes)

**Full Name:** Hinata Hyuuga Namikaze

**Alignment:** Konohagakure no Sato (formerly – abandoned the village); Western Empire

**Date of Birth:** December 27/20 years old

**Place of Birth:** Konohagakure no Sato, Fire Country

**Height:** 5'7"

**Weight:** She's not telling

**Measurements: **35-21-33

**Hair:** Indigo

**Eyes:** Pupil-less Lavender (normal); Dark Violet (Sage)

**Parents:** Hiashi Hyuuga, Hanna Hyuuga, mother (deceased)

**Spouse:** Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze

**Other Relatives:** Hanabi Hyuuga, younger sister; Neji Hyuuga, elder cousin

**Elemental Affinity:** Fire Release, Water Release

**Bloodline:** Enhanced Bykaugan (White Eye) – allows Hinata to target muscle and bone aside from the chakra points

**Summons:** Foxes

**Signature Weapons:** Dual kukri knives, ninjato - originally belonged to the second Fox Sage Kushinna Uzumaki, Senbon Needles

**Primary Costume: **Black shinobi shozoku (what Ayane sometimes wears) with a crimson lotus decal on the left breast, fishnet undershirt, black jounin flak vest, hitai-ate around her neck, pouch of medical supplies strapped to her back. A sleeveless haori can be an exception to the flak vest.

**Secondary Costume:** Various types of cheongsam dresses (she hates kimonos and yukatas)

**Specialty:** Taijutsu, Medical Ninjitsu, Genjutsu, also a master in diplomatic relations

Place of Residence: Imperial Palace, Kimon (the Imperial Capital); Imperial Summer Palace at South Ichiyama

**Background:**

- Age 6: Enrolled in the Konoha Ninja Academy

- Age 12: Graduates from the academy. Assigned to Cell Eight with Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame.

- Age 13: Flees alongside Naruto Uzumaki in the aftermath of the Uchiha Retrieval Mission in order to avoid being branded with the Caged Bird Seal at her father's urging. Assists Naruto in rescuing Kumo Jinchuuriki Yugito Nii and flees to the Western Continent.

- Age 14: During the Unification Wars, she becomes the apprentice to Yugito Nii.

- Age 15: Undergoes Sage Training under Kurama. On her sixteenth birthday, she becomes the Third Fox Sage.

- Age 16: Fights alongside (and marries) Naruto at the Battle of South Ichiyama. Crowned Empress Consort of the Unified West.

- Age 17: Oversees the formation of the Imperial Medic Corps in the Unified West with Karin Uzumaki and Kokoro Yamada.

- Age 18: Abolishes the Caged Bird Seal and officially hands over the position of Hyuuga Heiress to Hanabi Hyuuga.

- Age 20: Fights alongside Naruto in the Akatsuki Invasion of Suna. Credited with killing Deidara.

**Trained By:**

- Hiashi Hyuuga (Jyuuken Training)

- Kurama - Nine Tails (Sage and Taijutsu Training - side effect of this training is a major boost in self-confidence)

- Naruto Namikaze (Ninjitsu Training)

- Sonshi (Political Intrigue)

- Yugito Nii (Assassination techniques)

**Favorite Food:** Chocolate, Cinnamon buns

**Likes:** Training with Naruto

**Dislikes:** Same as her husband

**Fighting Styles:** Kin Shiki Jyuukenpo (Forbidden Style of the Gentle Sixt - basically the Hyuuga-ryuu Jyuuken overhauled to remove the flaws and weaknesses, making it more deadly - think Hinata fighting like Jun Kazama), Kitsune-style Taijutsu (think a combination of Wing Chun and Wushu) and Ninjutsu

**Signature Techniques:**

_**- Enhanced Senses and Agility:**_

As she is the third Kitsune Sannin, Hinata enjoys several perks. Aside from an upgrade in her Bykaugan, her sense of smell and hearing has improved.

_**- Medical Ninjitsu:**_

A talented medic-nin, Hinata's skills in healing are even better than Tsunade and the Konohagakure shinobi.

_**- Assassination Techniques:**_

As she can heal, she can also kill. A former understudy of Yugito Nii, Hinata is also a skilled assassin.

_**- Kage Bushin:**_

Naruto had taught her the technique, as she can also use the standard and exploding clones.

_**- Kin Shiki Jyuukenpo:**_

Hinata was trained in the Jyuukenpo by her father, and through that, had made the Gentle Fist more suited for her style.

_**- Eight Trigrams: Rotating Heaven**_

Rather than it being an defensive technique, Hinata had changed it into an offensive technique similar to that of Kung Lao's Whirlwind Spin. Covering her body from head to toe in chakra, Hinata spins, knocking the opponent into the air.

_**- Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms**_

A variant of the 64 Palms which Hinata had created for herself. Using a constant stream of chakra combined with her natural flexibility, she can reach any point around herself, allowing her to strike numerous targets within her field of assault.

_**- Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms:**_

Nothing special, as she does this the same way she always has done. Only difference is now rather than the Eight Trigrams pattern being green-and-black, it is now gold-and-red.

-_** Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms:**_

Hinata does this with a shadow clone; the real Hinata does 32 palms, while the clones does the other half 32.

_**- Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms:**_

Hinata performs this move just like Gen's Zetuei Super Combo (in most cases, she even says the same quote: "You cannot dodge what you cannot see!")

**Stats:**

- Ninjutsu: 5

- Taijitsu: 5

- Genjutsu: 5

- Intelligence: 5

- Strength: 4

- Speed: 5

- Stamina: 5

- Hand-seals: 5

- Total: 39

**Occupation:** Konoha shinobi (formerly), Third Fox Sage, Empress Consort of the Western Empire

**About the Fox Sage:** Part warrior, part healer, the Fox Sage is truly an elite warrior. As it is that only women can undergo the Sage Training, there are only three sages who held the title, both of which were from the Uzumaki clan (Mito and Kushina Uzumaki) and the most recent being the wife of the Emperor of the West, Hinata Namikaze.

**Western Empire Stats:**

**Official Name:** Unified Western Empire

**Other Names: **The West, Western Empire, Imperial Nation

**Landmass:** Think the Galbadia and Centra Continents from Final Fantasy 8 and you got the Western Empire. The northern part is known as the Northern Region, while the south continent and islands is known as the Southern Region

**Population:** 7 million

**Capital:** Kimon City, Northern Region (also known as the Imperial Capital)

**Motto:** "Peace through order and stability."

**Largest City:** Northern Region – Kimon, Kurata Port; Southern Region – South Ichiyama, Shinokou

**Flag:** Black Four Symbols Seal on a red background

**Style of Government:** Imperial Government

**Governing Body:** House of Sovereigns (consisting of a 12-member council, six representatives/ministers from the samurai and ninja clans, and six from the nobility and civilians. The designated ambassadors from Yuki, Suna and Mist also sit in. The Samurai and Ninja clan representatives are permanent members hand-picked by the Emperor himself, while the nobility and civilians are elected by the civilians)

**Heads of State:** Emperor Naruto Namikaze, Empress Consort Hinata Namikaze

**Chief Advisers:** Takuma Uzumaki, Kurama, Hiashi Hyuuga, and A

**Founding Document:** Unification Charter (which documents the history of the Uzumaki and Namikaze families, as well as the history of the Unification Wars)

**Constitution:** Imperial Charter (The Charter establishes the Uzumaki-Namikaze clan as the designated rulers of the Western Empire, as well as granting the Damiyos and Lords relative autonomy over their regions, as long as they acknowledge the Emperor as their ruler and govern the lands fairly and justly. It also establishes the Emperor as the supreme ruler of the Western Empire - with unchecked power.)

**Military:** Imperial Defense Forces - a combination of battle-hardened Samurai and Ninja. Four special forces units are under the direct command of the Emperor. They are as follows: the Hellcat Unit, an all-female fighting force of ninja and samurai under the command of General Yugito Nii the Shadow Company, a Mist refugee clan with the ability to bend space under the command of General Hideo Kazuma, the hard-hitting Demon Brigade, consisting of former Mist ninja under the command of General Zabuza Momichi, and the Four Devas (Four Heavenly Kings), a four-member group of shinobi who wields the power of the elements – Rasu, the Shogun of the Violent Lightning, Sadako Asahina, the Mistress of the Dark Flames, Kintaro Kagami, the Strongman of the Scorched Earth, and Kaede Kuriyama, the Protector of the Divine Winds.

**Government Ministries:**

- Ministry of Defense: oversees the battle-readiness of the Imperial forces. The Empire's information network falls under this ministry. Defense Minister: Sonshi.

- Ministry of the Interior: oversees the internal security of the Western Empire. Interior Minister: Kasumi Aihara.

- Ministry of Health: oversees the health and well-being of all its citizens – civilian, shinobi and samurai. Health Minister: Kouda Chiba.

- Ministry of Shinobi Affairs: Shinobi equivalent of Internal Affairs. Shinobi Affairs Minister: Kouda Chiba.

- Ministry of Samurai Affairs: Samurai equivalent of Internal Affairs. Samurai Affairs Minister: Eiji Kibagami.

- Ministry of Justice: Civilian equivalent of Internal Affairs. Justice Minister: Katsumoto Kitahara.

- Ministry of Finance: Oversees the financial aspects of the Empire and its budget. Joint operated by Ryuji and Haruka Shinzen.

**Currency:** Ryo

**Holidays:**

- October 10: The Emperor's Birthday

- December 27: The Empress Consort's Birthday

- June 1 to 12: Unification Festival (celebrating the end of the Unification Wars - June 1 is also the date of Naruto's original banishment)

- June 14: Anniversary of the Emperor and Empress' Coronation

- 1st Day of Spring: Hanami Festival

- 1st Week of July: The Imperial Kumite is held in South Ichiyama (think the chuunin exams tournaments but on a wider scale...and no one dies)

**About the Samurai in the Western Empire:** The samurai which serve and live in the Unified West are not the traditional brand of samurai seen in most anime and movies per se. The samurai in the Western Empire are in some ways similar to the shinobi. What the shinobi considers chakra, in the Western Empire, to the samurai, it is called ki energy. The samurai uses their internal energy to reinforce the strength of their weapons (similar as to how Kunou and Mousse do to their own weapons in Ranma ½). Aside from the traditional samurai weaponry, some samurai uses some exotic weapons custom built by the Himura Weapons Shops (such as the Chinese-style Dao and Straight Swords and the Nepalese Kukhri knives – but for the sake of the story, they are all weapons with origins in the Western Empire). Like the Shinobi Ranking System, the Samurai also has a ranking system of their own: Aonisaibushi (Amateur Samurai) is the equivalent of Genin, Chukanbushi (Middle Samurai) is the equivalent of Chuunin, Seiseibushi (Elite Samurai) is the equivalent of Jounin. Only Sonshi, Naruto's father figure and mentor is the only one to obtain the rank of Kodenbushi (Legendary Samurai) the equivalent of Sannin. The samurai as just as strong and resilient as their shinobi counterparts, and have a good working relationship with the shinobi in the Western Empire. In some cases, there is an unnamed class of warriors who had embraced both the shinobi and samurai ways, making them even more dangerous.

**About the Elite Guards:** The Elite Guards are the Imperial equivalent of the Fire Lord's Guardian Ninja. Following Naruto and Hinata's ascension to Emperor and Empress Consort, Sonshi had warned them both that as the leaders of the Empire, they both will always be targets for those opposed to their rule. Naruto and Hinata's first order was the creation of an elite group of warriors, both samurai and shinobi to serve as their bodyguards. Each member of the Elite Guard are classified as S-Rank combatants and are tough enough to face down even the most battle-hardened Jounin, Danzou's ROOT ANBU or even the Akatsuki. The Elite Guards consists of six battle-hardened shinobi and samurai who carry the rank of Jounin and Seiseibushi respectively. The members of the guard are Sana Sonshi, Hideo Kibagami, Roh Shainto, Takuma Chiba, and Rena Shiratori. Major Benisato Minazuki is the leader of the Guard.

**About the Unified West in General: **Unlike the Elemental Countries, in which the shinobi is the dominant force in the region, the Unified West is a combination of both Japanese and Chinese warrior cultures – in other words, before Naruto and Hinata arrived was basically the Three Kingdoms meet the Warring States in a free-for-all, but it still contains the Damiyo system used in the East. Aside from humans, the West is also home to half-demons and hanyou who live in the badlands and the forests in the Southern Region.


	2. Prologue, Part One

**Prologue, Part One**

Notes: I've combined bits and pieces of Rise of the Emperor to form the first part of the Prologue. Also I had to split the Prologue into several parts, as it is very long.

Two long years had passed since the end of the Unification Wars.

Two years since the lands of the Western Continent were united under a single ruler since the time of the Six Paths Sage, thus leading the people into an era of prosperity and peace.

The city of Kimon, also known as the Imperial Capital. Located twenty miles inland from the Western Sea, and accessible from the Kimon River, which snaked its way halfway through the Northern Continent, ending at its namesake. The Imperial Capital also served as a hub for trade, as did South Ichiyama in the Southern Region.

The nerve center of the Unified West was the Imperial Complex. (think the Imperial Palace in Japan). Located at the heart of Kumon City, which served as the Imperial Capital, the two-mile Complex sat on on top of a small hill and was heavily fortified, as it once belonged to the late Kimon warlord Rokunbungi Oda. Now, it served as the center of the Unified West. Spanning two miles, the four-story Imperial Palace, which served as the residence of the Emperor. The top two floors were reserved for the Emperor, while the bottom two floors were for their guests.

Aside from the Imperial Palace was the Hall of Sovereigns, of which the Emperor, the Empress and their 16-member Imperial Council - eight from the Empire's high-ranking samurai and shinobi clans and eight civilians and nobility who were the elected representatives of the people - met three times a week to conduct and manage the government. The House of Sovereigns also contained his throne room, where the royal couple would usually receive their guests, seated on their thrones, as well as their joint office.

Speaking of the Emperor, he was inside his office, taking on his greatest foe yet. A foe so devious, so cunning, that it almost made him wish that he was fighting his former cell, the Akatsuki, the Legendary Sannin and Hiruzen Sarutobi at once. A foe so cold and ruthless, that even Orochimaru would be sent screaming in terror from its presence.

That foe...was paperwork.

* * *

House of Sovereigns – Office of the Emperor and Empress Consort.

"Aagh...I should have known this job had a catch to it. Honestly...I don't see how my old man could have done this. Leading an army into battle was much easier."

The Emperor of the Unified West sat behind his desk, going through the mountain of paperwork, grumbling under his breath about how his wife was able to escape from the abomination of paperwork while he was stuck with it, and of the unfairness of it all.

Eighteen years old, he had came a long way since his days as a Konohagakure genin. He was no longer the loudmouthed, orange-loving, ramen-consuming knucklehead who screamed that he would be Hokage one day. The years he had spent in the West had changed him. Forged in the fires of war, trained in the ways of the shinobi and the samurai. Standing at six feet tall, with a wiry, muscular frame, the face a spitting image of his father. The whisker-like marks on his face - a sign of him being a jinchuuriki - were gone. His blond hair had taken on a reddish hue, a sign that he was of Uzumaki blood, the facial stubble on his face also the same color. Blue eyes showed intelligence combined with ruthlessness when needed be.

His style of clothing also changed as well. No more did he wore orange, which screamed 'Kill Me.' Instead, he took to wearing mostly black, since it can go with anything. The Emperor dressed simply, as it had reflected on his childhood; a white shirt with a tight collar and the sleeves rolled to his elbows, black vest, pants and boots. His longcoat remained on the hanger, while his black Kage-style hat hanged alongside the longcoat. The hat was mostly used to conceal his identity, mostly when he traveled abroad, which was often.

The Emperor of the Unified Western Empire, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, sighed. "Screw this," he muttered. Making a cross with his hands, he channeled his chakra and uttered the words, "Kage Bushin."

In a poof of smoke, five Shadow Clones appeared. Naruto rose from his seat and retrieved his longcoat. "Finish up the paperwork. I'm going for a walk."

"Yes, Boss," the clones acknowledged as they got to work.

* * *

Longcoat fluttering in the breeze, Naruto walked down the halls of the House of Sovereigns. Servants bowed to him as he passed, to which Naruto responded with a nod of the head. As it was past noon, there was one place where his wife could be: the Palace Gardens.

Rounding the corner, he ran into his senior adviser. A tall, walking mountain of muscle, tanned, with bleach blond hair and the mustache to match. His hitai-ate with the Imperial insignia – the Four Symbols Seal – was wrapped around one massive bicep.

Naruto greeted the older man. "Afternoon, A."

The former Raikage of Kumo-turned-adviser grunted. "Chief."

How did the Raikage of Kumo ended up in the West, and as Naruto's senior adviser? One year earlier, A was overthrown by Orochimaru, who had placed a puppet ruler in his place. The first order of the new Raikage: eliminate his predecessor and his brother, Killer Bee. However, as Emperor of the West, Naruto had a robust spy network in the East, and it was through them that Naruto was notified of the coup while visiting Gaara in Suna. With Hinata at his side and the aid of his Elite Guard, his personal bodyguards and the use of the Demons' Gate jutsu, Naruto arrived at the nick of time and slaughtered the Kumo ANBU, thus saving A and Bee's lives, and those of A's loyal supporters.

Imagine their shock upon returning to Suna that the Emperor was the former Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. Even A and Bee had heard about the exploits about the one who unified the lands under a single banner. It was then that Naruto offered A and Bee political asylum within the Empire. A and Bee accepted Naruto's offer, with A serving as senior adviser to the young Emperor, while Bee hung around the trading post of Rara, located thirty miles from Kumon.

"Dodging your duties once again, Chief?" A asked dryly.

"Duties? Have you seen the mountain of paperwork on my desk?" Naruto shot back.

A shuddered. "Don't remind me. I've had my share of doing paperwork when I was the Raikage. Whoever came up with paperwork needs to be strung up."

Naruto chuckled. "On that, I agree. I left a couple of Shadow Clones to finish up."

"I received word from Fu that several clans from Konohagakure have defected from the village. Is that true?"

Naruto nodded. Fu – the jinchuriki for Chomei, the Seven-Tailed Beetle – was part of the United West's information network. Anything Konoha-related was sent her way, and in turn, was delivered to either Naruto, his wife, or the Nine-Tails herself. "Four clans, plus ninety Jounin-level shinobi. They should be arriving within the week."

"Can you trust the Hyuuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho?"

"I can see you have your concerns, A," Naruto replied. "The Ino-Shika-Cho first generation were childhood friends with my father, and unlike my former teammates, their children never saw me as the fox. As for the Hyuuga, aside the fact that they hate the Uchiha with a passion, Hinata's mother was close friends with my own mother, and Hiashi saw her as an equal. Despite Sarutobi's efforts in stunting my growth in order to turn me into a weapon, those four men looked out for me in their own way, honoring a promise made to them by my parents."

A nodded, knowing of Naruto's treatment as the village pariah solely because he held the most powerful of the tailed beasts. Not even Bee and Yugito were treated as harshly. In his mind, the people of Konoha were total idiots, favoring a traitor over a hero.

In the aftermath of the Uchiha Retrieval Mission, once it became known as to what had happened through Gaara and Suna, public opinion regarding Konoha had plummeted. In the end, despite all of its posturing and its supposed 'Will of Fire,' Konohagakure no Sato was known as 'the village who rewards traitors' For the Fire Damiyo, Tsunade and Jiraiya, their name was synonymous with the words 'hypocrite' and 'backstabber.' And for Sasuke Uchiha, his name was synonymous with 'traitor.'

It was through his intelligence network – posing as merchants from the Pekara Merchant House – that Naruto had found out that the Konohagakure High Council not only promoted Sasuke to Jounin (which he did not deserve), but also activated the C.R.A.

Hiashi Hyuuga and Inoichi Yamanaka objected to having their daughters marry the Uchiha. When Tsunade threatened to strip them of clan status and revoked their shinobi registrations, Hiashi and Inoichi retaliated by turning in their hitai-ates and storming out of the council chambers. Shikaku and Chouza soon followed, turning in their hitai-ates as well, throwing in their lot with the Hyuuga and their longtime friend.

Unknown to Tsunade and the other pro-Uchiha members of the council, Hiashi had been in contact with the Imperial spies and had gotten word to Hinata. After talking it over with Naruto, he had agreed to allow the Hyuuga and anyone defecting from Konoha political asylum.

"Those four and their families looked out for me back in Konoha," Naruto continued. "Their children did not see me as a demon growing up."

"And Lord Namikaze always pays back his debts," A concluded.

The young Emperor nodded. "Plus, Konoha's reputation had already taken a serious hit when they banished me and favored the Uchiha. With the loss of four major clans, the village will be crippled even further."

"You know Konoha won't take this lying down," A said.

"They already did," Naruto replied. "As you probably know, the Unified West and Yours Truly are quite the hot topic in the East. They know of my exploits and of my strength, which is even greater than the Legendary Sannin combined. If Konoha attacked the defecting clans who were traveling with the Pekara merchants on the way to the coast..."

A nodded in understanding. "It would set off an international incident, and would make Konoha lose face, attacking an unarmed convoy. Impressive, Chief."

Naruto grinned. "Thank you. If you need me, I will be at the gardens."

A smirked as he nodded knowingly before walking off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Imperial Complex – Palace Gardens.

The Palace Gardens (think Shang Tsung's Palace Gardens without the Outworld-related stuff) was the favorite spot of the Empress Consort of the United West. Her husband had built it for her, obtaining various rare flowers from East and West. Located at the back of the complex, Naruto had it done for Hinata as a wedding gift, seeing as how his wife loved flowers. Kimon had several gardens and parks (as well as training grounds for its shinobi and samurai), but this was for the Emperor's personal use.

Seated under one of the trees, was the Empress Consort of the West. She was reading a romance novel under the shade of the trees, enjoying the spring day.

She was the same age as her husband. Her hair, once long during the Unification Wars, was now cut short again (think Samantha Byrne's hairstyle from Gears of War 3). She was taller than she was back when they were both Konoha genin, standing at five-feet-seven, several months younger than he was, her pupil-less lavender eyes identifying her as one of the Hyuuga. She was dressed in her standard medic-nin uniform, which was a black shinobi shozoku – a type of dark-colored training dogi for shinobi – with a crimson lotus decal on the left breast. Underneath the shozoku was a fishnet shirt. A black Jounin flak vest completed the outfit.

Like her husband, Hinata Hyuuga, now Hinata Namikaze had came a long way since Konoha. When the Uchiha was pardoned and Naruto was banished, Hinata was sent along with him by her father in order to keep the Hyuuga Council from branding her with the Caged Bird Seal. In the years following her exile, she too had been forged in the fires of war, having become Naruto's second-in-command. She was also the founder of the medic-ninja program used during the war, which was one of the major factors in Naruto winning the Unification Wars.

While she ran the program, her second-in-command was a clansman from Naruto's clan, Karin Uzumaki. The medic-ninja program produced top-notch medic-ninjas, who were later assigned to various parts of the Empire. Karin was also a former Otogakure kunoichi who had defected from Orochimaru because of his inhumane experiments on the sick in his quest for immortality.

Aside from being a highly-skilled medic, Hinata was also trained in the assassination arts by Yugito Nii, as well as political intrigue by the elderly Sonshi. She was known to the soldiers and to the people as 'The Lady,' and 'Princess of Foxes,' given as she was the Third Kitsune Sannin.

She continued to read her novel as she felt her husband's presence behind her. She had gotten better at detecting his chakra signature.

"How is it that you can sneak away from your duties at the hospital, while I have to use shadow clones to get away from the mountain of paperwork left on my desk?"

Hinata closed her book and looked up at her husband, who was leaning up against a nearby tree. "Karin took over for me at the hospital," Hinata replied, rising to her feet.

Unlike the wives of the Damiyos in the East, (Koyuki Kazahana being the exception), Hinata had an active role as the Empress of the Imperial Nation as head of the Imperial Medic Corps, which was one of the major reasons she was respected by the shinobi and samurai. Of course, she was not exempt from the horror that was paperwork.

Naruto walked over to her. "Really?" he asked, slipping his arms around his wife's waist, smiling broadly.

"Really," Hinata replied, returning the smile. "I missed you," she added, wrapping her arms around his waist. She had to go to the hospital early for a meeting with Karin and Kokoro Yamada, leaving Naruto in bed alone.

The moment, however, was ruined with the arrival of one of the kunoichi who was part of the Hellcats. Commanded by former Kumo kunoichi and jinchuuriki Yugito Nii, the Hellcats was one of several elite special forces units under Naruto and Hinata's command. The Hellcats were all female, consisting of both kunoichi and onna-bugeisha (female samurai), and identified by their khaki flak vests. Both Naruto and Hinata were former understudies of Yugito, as she had taught the both of them assassination techniques, which came in handy during the Unification Wars.

"Chief! Lady Hinata!"

Naruto frowned, while Hinata giggled. Releasing Hinata, he turned to face the kneeling Hellcat, who had arrived via shunshin. He recognized her as Yugito's second-in-command. "Yes, Kumi, what is it?" he asked, annoyed that his Hinata time was interrupted.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but I bring word from General Nii herself," the Hellcat replied. "There is an five-man envoy from the East en route to the Complex. General Nii has identified them as shinobi from Otogakure no Sato."

Naruto's frown deepened. "Who is leading them?" Hinata asked.

"General Nii has identified them as the Sound Four and the leader of the envoy as Kabuto Yakushi. They should be arriving within five minutes."

Naruto nodded. "Give my thanks to Yugito. Make sure they are discreetly tailed to the Complex."

"Sir." With that, the Hellcat vanished.

Naruto sighed. "Guess I'll have to take a raincheck for this," he said. "No rest for the wicked, I'm afraid. Remain here, since your eyes are a dead giveaway, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

House of Sovereigns, Throne Room.

Seated on his throne, Rinnegan activated Naruto eyed the white-haired man with a combination of disdain and suspicion. Kurama was not there, as he did not want her to give away any suspicion as to her true identity. The Kage-style hat was on his head, effectively hiding his face. Not to take any chances, his face was concealed by his mask. Unlike the Kage hats of the East, the Imperial version was solid black, the cloth still white.

Unknown to Kabuto Yakushi, this had not been the first time that Naruto and Hinata had a run-in with the cunning shinobi. Six months earlier, while inspecting the Pekara Merchant House's Wind outpost near the Wind-Fire border, Kabuto had been ordered by Orochimaru to check the place out, having heard about the rise of the Western Empire and its leaders. What Kabuto found was the commander of Naruto's Elite Guards, Major Benisato Mochizuki.

Known as the 'Snake Queen of Kimon,' Kabuto had been soundly defeated by the older woman. Then Orochimaru had appeared. The Snake Queen fought the Snake Sannin while Naruto and Hinata watched from the sidelines, Benisato having been warned in advance of Orochimaru's methods. But it wasn't necessary, as Benisato had been more skilled than Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin had been forced to retreat.

The white-haired, bespectacled Oto shinobi took a knee, head bowed. "Your Imperial Majesty," he began, "May your reign be a long and prosperous one. My name is Kabuto Yakushi. I represent Otogakure, the Village Hidden in the Sound. I bring greetings from my master, Lord Orochimaru."

Using his chakra to disguise his voice (think Naruto speaking in Shredder's voice from the first movie), Naruto responded. "So what business does your master want with me?"

"Lord Orochimaru has been monitoring the events that have transpired here in the West with great interest," Kabuto said. "He is especially impressed that you have united the lands in so little time. He has sent me here to discuss terms of an alliance between your Empire and the Sound."

Naruto learned back on his throne. "Tell me, Yakushi...what would I gain should I ally myself to the Sound?"

"You would have the backing of one of the most powerful ninja in the East," Kabuto said. "Despite our small numbers, you would mostly benefit from Lord Orochimaru's guidance."

'In other words, take over my body since Sasuke is off limits, and use my army to invade Konoha,' Naruto thought darkly. The young Emperor made it look like he was in deep thought. "I am sorry, but a military alliance is not in the Empire's best interest."

"You misunderstood me, Your Majesty..." Kabuto began, but was cut off.

"Oh, don't be coy, Yakushi," Naruto replied. "Do you really think that you are the first from the East to ask for an alliance? First it was the Rock...then it was the Cloud...you make number three. The people has seen war since the era of my great ancestor, the Six Paths Sage."

Kabuto's eyes went wide. "You're a descendant of the Six Paths himself? I thought only the Senju and the Uchiha were his only descendants."

Naruto chuckled dryly. "No. The Six Paths had only one child – a daughter, who is the founder of my clan. The two brothers who would later found the Uchiha and Senju lines trained under him, nothing more. When the Six Paths died, they changed their lineage to make it so that they were his progeny, and tried to murder his daughter. Despite the Senju founder wielding the Mokouton and the Uchiha wielding the Sharingan, they were no match for the Rinnegan's power, and were beaten. After that incident, she fled here."

It was a half-truth, actually. The Uzumaki clan ancestor did not flee to the West, but instead settled in what was to be known as Whirlpool Country.

"But we are getting off subject," Naruto continued. "The people has seen war since the era of the Six Paths. Unlike the people of the East, they have not known a lasting peace. I saw the lawlessness of the lands and I gave them the peace they desired. I am merely a servant of the people and even an Emperor must listen to the will of the people. I am truly sorry that you have come this far, but tell your Lord Orochimaru that my answer is no."

Kabuto slowly nodded. "I see. In any case, Lord Orochimaru will be disappointed that you will not agree to the alliance. I thank you for your time, Your Majesty."

With a wave of his hand, Naruto excused Kabuto. As soon as the Sound envoy left the room, Naruto summoned the commander of Shadow Company. "Kazuma."

Emerging from the shadows as if it was water, was the head of the Kazuma Clan, and Commander of the appropriately-named Shadow Company. A bald, wiry man in his early fifties, Hideo Kazuma was the first to swear loyalty when Naruto had killed Rokubungi Oda. The Kazuma clan were masters of a rare bloodline called Shadow Release, which allowed them to cover major distances by using the shadows of various objects.

"You called, Chief?" Kazuma asked.

"Have your men tail Yakushi and the Oto envoy," Naruto ordered, removing his mask and returning to his normal voice. "Make sure that they are on the first boat out of Kimon. I don't trust him...or the snake. Between the snake and Konoha...I hate Orochimaru more. See to your orders, Kazuma."

Kazuma bowed. "Right away, my lord."

As Kazuma sank back into the shadows, Naruto frowned. Orochimaru was taking an interest in the Empire, and even though the snake-loving pedophile was on the back burner, he was a legitimate threat.

'No way am I letting the snake destroy Konoha,' Naruto thought as he deactivated his Rinnegan and removed the hat and mask. 'That responsibility falls onto me.' Looking at his watch he mentally cursed to himself. 'Damn. Thought I had more time before the meeting with the council. Oh well.'

* * *

Imperial Council Chambers, minutes later...

The council hall inside the Hall of Sovereigns was as big as the council chambers back inside Konoha. The council chambers consisted of three long tables; the first containing the seats of the Emperor, the Empress Consort, and their advisers. Two tables located on either side of the Emperor's table faced each other, each containing six seats for either side. The council was chosen by Naruto and Hinata personally to serve as ministers of their respective fields.

The meeting was straight-forward. Aside from a uprising of malcontents loyal to Oda which was quickly crushed before it could gain steam, and the financial situation concerning the southern badlands, there was nothing worthy to report. Good thing that they only met three times a month.

At the lead table, Naruto and Hinata sat side-by-side. Next to Hinata was A and Kurama, in her human form. Next to Naruto was the patriarch of the Uzumaki clan, Takuma Uzumaki. As the Uzumaki clan was famous for their fuuinjutsu, Takuma was his uncle, as Kushina was his older sister. Unlike Kushina and her son, who both wielded the Rinnegan, Takuma was a fuuinjutsu master. He was also known as the 'Maelstrom of Whirlpool,' given both his natural fighting abilities, as well as his short temper.

When Whirlpool had fallen in the last Shinobi War, Kushina, despite being Minato's wife, did not fully trust Konohagakure, and had ordered her brother to flee elsewhere. Taking five hundred Uzushiogakure shinobi with him – half of of them being Uzumaki clansmen – Takuma fled to the West, and had set up shop in the Northern Continent. Upon hearing of a rising warlord with the same surname as his own, Takuma sought him out, and found out that the warlord in question was his own nephew.

After hearing Naruto and Hinata's story, from his time in Konoha up to being the scapegoat for the Uchiha's attempted defection, which led to his defection, Takuma was furious. But in the end, Naruto had gained family, and more importantly, allies to his cause. When the West was united under Naruto's rule, he had been the first to accept a position of senior adviser to the Emperor and Empress Consort alongside Kurama.

Like the shinobi in both the East and West, the samurai also had their own ranking system. An apprentice samurai was the same as a shinobi-in-training, and received instruction from the Academy – the Imperial schools where up-and-coming shinobi and samurai learned how to fight. The largest of the schools were in the Imperial Capital, Kurata Port, South Ichiyama, and Tears' Point.

Once the amateur samurai passed a series of physical and mental exams, they became Aonisaibushi – Amateur Samurai. It was the shinobi equivalent of Genin. Unlike the shinobi system, the Aonisaibushi would be assigned to either a three-man cell or apprenticed to an elder samurai.

After two years, the Aonisaibushi were eligible to be promoted to Chukanbushi – Middle Samurai. The Chukanbushi is the most common rank of samurai, and was the shinobi equivalent of Chuunin. They were the foot soldiers and archers, the main bulk of the samurai forces under Naruto's command. It is there that the Chukanbushi had to prove their worth.

Last, was the Seieibushi – Elite Samurai. The samurai equivalent of Jounin, they are the highly-skilled samurai, a position that would take most of their lives to obtain. The Seieibushi were mainly the officers of the Imperial military, people who both the samurai and Naruto had fought alongside with and trusted with their lives. Some of the Seieibushi were clan heads, others were not. The Seieibushi were the ones who took on a single apprentice or a cell of their choosing. They were highly respected by both shinobi and samurai. Naruto himself was of this rank.

On Naruto's left: Sonshi, the elder samurai warrior and philosopher who had taught Naruto the ways of the samurai. In most cases, he was a lot like Danzou Shimura – a warhawk. Only difference was that he fought wars to defend his homeland, not to expand his influence. He was also the Minister of Defense. A powerful samurai even to this very day, he held the rank of Kodenbushi – the Legendary Samurai. In his younger days, as Naruto and Hinata had later found out, he had traveled in the east, defeating Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hanzou the Salamander and even the Sannin. During the Unification War, he had invited Naruto to his village and Naurto became so impressed with the old man, that he asked to be trained in the ways of the samurai. When the Empire was created, he was the first that Naruto had invited to be on the council. Despite his old age, Sonshi was well-respected by samurai and ninja alike. His granddaughter, Sana Sonshi, who was a member of Yugito's Hellcats, served as part of Naruto's Elite Guards. He was also the only person who could still kick Naruto's ass six falls out of ten.

Next was Eiji Kibagami, also from a respected samurai clan with connections in Iron Country, as he had family there, which was helpful when Naruto negotiated a trade agreement between the Empire and Iron. A hard-punching, hard-drinking samurai with a mouth that would make Tayuya blush and Hidan green with envy, he was the first to join up with Naruto in his ambition. He was a Seiseibushi-level shinobi who served as the Minister of Samurai Affairs. Despite being a foul-mouthed samurai, he was fiercely loyal to the young Emperor, honorable and carried himself as a true samurai. It was also a known fact that he and Kasumi Aihara were romantically involved. His pet wolf, Bijoumaru was at his side. Like Sonshi, Eiji had a member of his family as part of the Elite Guard - his nephew Hideo Kibagami served proudly.

Next to Kibagami was the the head of the Chiba clan, Kouda Chiba, a Jounin who served as Minister of Shinobi Affairs. The Chiba clan was a line of ninja who practiced a deadlier style of Taijutsu that would put even Rock Lee and Maito Gai to shame, the Taijutsu used originally as an assassination technique. Like Sonshi's granddaughter and Eiji's son, her eldest son, Takashi, served as one of Naruto's Elite Guards, a high honor for the Chiba Clan. In most ways, the Chiba clan reminded Naruto of the Inuzuka - fiercely loyal to the pack.

Sitting next to Kouda was her childhood friend and fellow ninja, Kokoro Yamada. The eldest daughter of a former nobleman and a Mist refugee, she was the diametric opposite of Zabuza's partner Haku, as her attacks were fire release attacks. A Tokubetsu Jounin shinobi, she was the Minister of Health, having been picked for the decision by Hinata herself. In an interesting sidenote, her bloodline allows her to endure an opponent's fire attacks unscathed. The Yamada clan also had a reputation for being top-notch healers whose skill rivaled that of Tsunade in her prime.

Next to the fire-wielding mistress was the regal Kasumi Aihara. She was a Seiseibushi-level samurai who served as Minster of the Interior. The Aihara was the most powerful samurai clan in the Southern Region (in both influence and skill), and aside from the elderly Sonshi who resided on the northern continent, was one of Naruto's major supporters. Kasumi herself was a legendary warrior in her own right, having led troops into battle. Despite being in her forties, she looked younger. When her husband was killed by Oda's hand, he was about to claim Aihara for his own. Thankfully, Naruto's arrival put a stop to those plans. Her best friend, Murasaki Shibiku, was a popular author of romance novels and poetry, Hinata being her biggest fan. It was also gaining prominence over Jiraiya's Icha Icha series in the East.

Seated next to Aihara was the head of the Okajima Ninja Clan, Hayate Okajima. Nicknamed 'The Tengu' because of his habit of wearing a Tengu mask to battle, the Okajima clan were skilled in ninjitsu, assassination techniques and recon. They were the natural rivals of the Shainto clan, who favored open combat over covert assassinations. Naruto had approached the Okajima clan head for an alliance. Hayate was impressed by the boy's bravado and tenacity that he signed on to Naruto's side. Once the War was over, Naruto had returned to the Okajima clan their lands which were taken from them by one of the more corrupt Damiyos. In return, the entire Okajima clan swore their eternal loyalty to their new Emperor.

On Hinata's right: Ryuji Shinzen and his wife Haruka Shinzen, the heads of the Western Empire's premier mercantile guild, Pekara Merchant House, and co-Ministers of Finance. Ryuji was originally a mercenary ninja, while Haruka had a gift for business and management, they were the first to back Naruto in his ambition financially following the death of Rokubungi Oda. When the Unification Wars had reached its conclusion, they created the merchant houses which had two purposes; providing imported and exported items across the Empire and in the East, while at the same time, keeping a close eye on the more unruly villages in the East. Thanks to Naruto, they now had branches all over the country, as well as several locations in the East, some of which served for gathering intel, as in Iwa, Fire Country and Kumo.

Next was Shinoda Wakaba, former pirate captain, now a close business partner and longtime friend with the Shinzens, since his ten-boat fleet was originally used to harass and plunder both Oda's and his allies' supplies. It was Haruka who had pointed out the perks in having a fleet of ships backing up his ambition to Naruto. Now, with the war over, the fleet was now used to transport goods all over the continent, as well as in the elemental countries. In an interesting sidenote, the Shinzens and Wakaba were both in-laws, since the Shinzen's son had married Wakaba's daughter, which had brought their families into a close alliance.

Seated next to Wakaba was Katsumoto Kitahara. A Damiyo from the Southern Region who supported the people and working class, he was overthrown by a power-mad Warlord and condemned to wander the lands, until Naruto found him. He was one of the key members in the civilian council in which thanks to Katsumoto, that his major support base was the civilians themselves. Katsumoto's lands were restored unto him, as well as his title as a reward for his service and loyalty. Given his passion for justice, it was fitting that he served as Minster of that post.

Next to Wakaba was Shin Akizuki. His home was the southern part of the continent. Shin was the youngest of the council at age twenty-three, and trained as a samurai, having been recently promoted to Seiseibushi. The son of Shinji Akizuki, a retired Warlord who had fought with Naruto, Shin had made a name for himself during the Unification Wars as a formidable swordsman, and can hold his own against Naruto in their occasional spars. In some cases, he reminded Naruto of Shikamaru at times: brilliant, but lazy.

Last, was Rumika Todo. Like Katsumoto, she was a Damiyo, but hailed from the North's mountainous Lahja Region. Todo was one of the Damiyos whose land the late Rokunbungi Oda had an eye for, since her lands contained iron mines deep within the mountains, but once Naruto had eliminated him, she saw the wise decision in backing him in his war of conquest. Her husband was the original Damiyo, until his death during a raiding party from Oda's men, forcing her to assume the role. But despite this, she was fiercely loyal to both her people and to the Emperor.

Zabuza Momichi and Haku were also sitting in at the Emperor's request. Thought to have died in Wave Country in Naruto's first mission, the former Mist Swordsman and his partner had instead fled the country as Mist hunter ninjas had arrived, forcing the pair to leave high-powered blood clones in their places. Zabuza and Haku had fled to the West, where they had hooked up with bloodline refugees who had fled the purges under Yagura and the Mist Damiyo. When Naruto had arrived on the Southern Continent with his forces two years earlier, Zabuza had already made a name for himself as a powerful warlord, with Haku as his second-in-command. It was Haku who had discovered that Naruto was the warlord who had united the Northern Continent under his rule.

Zabuza was surprised, to say the least. The little blond runt who had faced him down on Tazuna's bridge all those years ago had unified the Northern Continent. What surprised him even more was that Konoha had betrayed him in favor of his traitorous teammate. Despite the fact that he was mostly a bloodthirsty sadist, Zabuza had a set of morals. He decided to join Naruto under one condition: that he would be the one to kill Kakashi Hatake. Naruto agreed...on the condition that he alone would beat the holy hell out of him first before Zabuza killed him. That, Zabuza agreed to.

Zabuza was not only in command of his own unit, known as the Demon Brigade, but he also served as the chief interrogator in the Empire's Interrogation Division. He also taught Naruto Mist-style swordsmanship, which came in handy in his war of conquest.

Sonshi cleared his throat. "Before we adjourn this meeting, Chief, is there anything else you would like to add?"

"Yes," Naruto replied. "As you might or might now know, my wife and I have been in contact with the four clans who have defected from Konohagakure no Sato: the Hyuuga, the Yamanaka, the Akamichi and the Nara. Aside from the four clans and their heirs, accompanying them are two hundred jounin, one of which you might be interested in, Zabuza. His name is Ibiki Morino."

Zabuza recognized the name. "Ibiki...yes, I know of his reputation. Said to be the best in interrogation and torture"

"Who is he?" Eiji Kibagami asked.

"He is a Tokubetsu Jounin," Hinata explained. "Some would describe him as a sadist."

"Oh, sounds like someone your would like, Momichi," Eiji snorted, ignoring the sour look Zabuza had given him. "Please continue, Lady Hinata."

"His interrogation techniques are stuff of legend," Hinata continued. "Even when Naruto and I were coming up in the shinobi academy, Ibiki was someone to be feared. He has the unique ability to cause great pain and suffering without resorting to physical torture. His interrogation skills rely mostly on the ability to torture the mind. His knowledge on human psychology is top-notch. Ibiki is a firm believer of gaining control over a person's spirit by attacking the mind."

"That much is true," Zabuza said. "You can say that I am an admirer of his work. Back in my Seven Swordsman days, Kisame had chosen to kill off the shinobi belonging to Mist's Cypher Division rather than allow them to fall into his hands."

"Charming fellow," Kasumi Aihara dryly noted.

"Ibiki works with Anko Mitarashi," Hinata continued. "She is a Tokubetsu Jounin, like Ibiki. A former student of Orochimaru, she is a master of interrogation who uses snakes just like her former master. She also loves dango, and is a total sadist."

"What about the clan heads?" Eiji asked

"The four clan heads were friends with my parents," Naruto said. "They, nor their children, did not see me as a demon, unlike the rest of Konoha. Despite the efforts of Sarutobi and the Konoha Council to stunt my growth as a warrior, they looked out for me in their own way. The first clan head is Hiashi Hyuuga. You already know of the Bykaugan and its advantages and weaknesses, as well as the Caged Bird Seal."

"The other three clan are known for their teamwork," Hinata continued, "The Yamanaka, the Akamichi and the Nara clans, better known by their team name, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Ever since Konoha's founding, there always has been a team with that title, as they are famous for their teamwork. First up is Ibiki's partner, Inoichi Yamanaka. Intelligence specialist with a unique talent which is their clan's signature ability."

"Which is?" Kouda Chiba asked.

"The Yamanaka has the ability to read the opponent's minds and search their memories," Hinata said. "Their signature technique is the Mind Body Switch Technique, in which the Yamanaka can send their mind into a target's body, overriding the target's mind for a short period of time. He has a daughter, Ino, who was a former teammate of ours. The Mind Body Switch is just one of the many techniques the Yamanaka has at their disposal. His wife, Kozue Yamanaka, used to own the flower shop in town."

"Second is the Nara," Naruto said. "The Nara are known for their high-intellect and battle tactics. They are also known for attracting hotheaded women, low energy, and saying 'troublesome.' The Nara's specialty is shadow manipulation. The Nara's signature technique is the Shadow Imitation Technique, in which they can extend their shadow and merge with their target's own shadow, forcing the other to imitate the Nara's movements. Shikaku Nara is the clan head. Back in Konoha, he was the Jounin Commander, given his mastery of battle tactics. He also herds deer in his spare time, and is a natural herbalist. Shikamaru Nara is his son."

"Last, is the Akamichi," Hinata finished. "The Akamichi are the powerhouse of the trio, possessing great physical strength and can convert their calories into chakra. The downside to this is that their techniques drain their chakra while in use and maintaining them during battle can be tiring. For this reason, the Akamichi have very high chakra levels and for this reason, has to eat a lot in order to maintain those levels. Chouza Akamichi is the fifteenth head of the clan, while Chouji Akamichi is his son."

"Like I said earlier," Naruto said, "these four clan heads had done their best to aid me despite Sarutobi's orders not to do so. They offered me shelter, food and in some cases, a place to sleep. Their children did not see me as Kurama in human flesh. It is because of this, that Hinata and I are going to grant them political asylum into the Empire. They should be arriving by the end of the week by ship."

"Forgive me for being the voice of opposition Chief," Kokoro Yamada cut in, "but you grant the clans asylum, and then what? Automatic clan status right off the bat?"

Naruto shook his head. "Of course not, Kokoro. Just as Hinata and I had to work hard to get where we are at, they will not be given a free pass. They will be on probation for six months. When they prove their worth to the Unified West, when they show their loyalty to the Empire and her people, only then will we accept them as one of the Great Imperial Clans of the Imperial Nation. Is that reasonable enough for all of you?"

The council nodded. Their Emperor's conditions were acceptable.

It was then Eiji raised one hand. "Chief...If I was the Hokage, there would be no way that I would let four clans of such power leave the village. Are you not worried that Konoha might try something funny?"

"I've already taken precautions in case the cripple or the hag decide to send out assassination squads on the refugees," Naruto replied. "You are aware that the Pekara Merchant House has branches in the East, particular in Wave, Spring and Water, right?"

"Yes."

"The refugees had met up with one of the caravans who are on the way to the coast where the bridge once stood. And you know as well as I do that most of the merchants are some of the best shinobi and samurai veterans who had the honor of fighting by our side."

Eiji nodded in understanding. "Since you are an unknown to Konoha and Fire Country, attacking the refugees while being escorted to the coast by our caravans not only would cause Konoha to lose face with the villages who are known to us, but it also gives us a valid reason to go to Konoha and put blade and jutsu to asses." He cackled. "Chief, you were always such a sneaky little shit. Glad to see you still have the touch."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment," Naruto replied, used to the older samurai's foul-mouthed tendencies. This, coming from the same guy that came up with a thoughtful, albeit crude description about his wife's demeanor: "The only thing bigger than her tits is her heart."

Of course, he said that within earshot of Kasumi and the other female members of the council, which earned him a one-way trip to the hospital. He would be in a body cast for the rest of the month.

"Is there anything else?" Hinata asked.

The council shook their heads in the negative.

Naruto nodded. "This meeting is adjourned."


	3. Prologue, Part Two

**Prologue, Part Two**

Snafu's Notes: It was expected that with Rise of the Emperor, I would be getting plenty of reviews. Wrath of the Emperor, by the look of things, is no different. The Prologue had to be split into three parts. Yes, it was **that** long.

One week later...

The two Pekara cargo ships, each bearing the flag of the Unified Western Empire – the black Four Symbols Seal on a red background – sailed past Kurata Port and headed inland. Only this time, the ships did not carry goods from the East. These cargo ships carried refugees.

It had been a week since what would be known throughout the Elemental Countries as the Konoha Exodus, in which four major clans and more than one hundred shinobi had turned in their hitai-ates and walked out of Konoha. Tsunade and the Fire Lord could not charge them with desertion, as they had willingly resigned from the shinobi forces.

Standing on the deck of the first ship, was Hiashi Hyuuga.

It had been six years since he had last seen Hinata, having sent her away with Naruto in order to spare her being branded with the Caged Bird Seal. Despite his outward appearance of putting down his eldest daughter, Hiashi did care for her, and sending her away was the hardest thing he had ever did. But Hinata was smitten with Minato's kid and sending her with him was the best idea at the time.

In that time, Hiashi's personal view in regards to Tsunade and Jiraiya had taken a severe nose dive. The two Sannin had been close to Minato and Kushina – Tsunade was Mito's granddaughter and Kushina was her niece, thus making her Naruto her great-nephew, while Minato was a former pupil of Jiraiya. Both blamed Naruto for the deaths of Minato and Kushina, when it was clearly the fault of the Uchiha, given the reports he had read on that fateful night. Both had went along with Sarutobi's scheme to make Naruto into Konoha's weapon, and when that failed, opted to banish him from the village when it became clear that despite Hiruzen's machinations in stunting Naruto's growth had failed, even going as far as to place him in the Bingo Book with a 'kill-on-sight' order. It was clear that the two Sannin had no love for the Uchiha, but they chose a virtual traitor over a hero.

In the five years since Hinata's disappearance alongside Naruto, Hiashi had not heard a single word in regards to his eldest child. Then, word began to leak out about events happening in the West. A place so war-torn that not even the Sannin nor the Akatsuki would be in their right mind to venture there, was finally united under the rule of a warlord and his medic-ninja wife, having been named Emperor and Empress Consort.

When the Pekara Merchant Houses began to emerge in several key locations, caravans began to appear in Konoha, selling their wares. One such branch was in over the border in Wind Country. That was how Hiashi had found out through one of the merchants – who worked with the Empire's information network – that his daughter was still alive, having fled West and fighting in what was to be known as the Unification Wars alongside Naruto. When the 'merchant' told Hiashi that Naruto was now his son-in-law, he was not surprised in the least bit.

What surprised him was that the Empire had been keeping tabs on Konoha and several other villages in the East. The Empire also knew about the tensions threatening to boil over in Konohagakure, which is why the Emperor and Empress Consort had reached out to Hiashi. Should things in Konoha get worse to the point that the Hyuuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho could not stay, then the Emperor and Empress Consort will allow them to migrate to the Western Empire.

But there were two obstacles that were in the Hyuuga clan head's way. The council of Hyuuga Elders, who had supported the council, and the Godaime herself. The same council who had forced his twin brother to either take his place in the Kumo Incident or else his son would be killed. The same council who had voted to brand Hinata with the Caged Bird Seal and personally take over Hanabi's training, to make her an emotionless doll.

The council and their supporters would be in the way should he decide to take the clan and leave Konoha, to return to the West, the land of his ancestors. Hiashi knew this, as did his twin brother, Hizashi. The Hyuuga Elders knew this as well, as the Hyuuga's origins were in the Northern Region, but the clan relocated to the east once West became unstable, and settled in Konohagakure no Sato as it was founded.

Which is why the Hyuuga Elders had been removed from the equation, along with their supporters in the Main Branch. Hiashi's late wife not only loved flowers, but was also a skilled kunoichi who specialized in poisons. So poisoning the tea of their elders and their supporters was no hard task for him. With those in the main branch backing him and the full support of the Cadet Branch, Hiashi had wiped out the elders and their allies. When Tsunade demanded an explanation as to what had happened, all he replied was that it was clan business, that he and his supporters had averted a civil war by eliminating the traitors to his clan.

The final straw came with he Godaime and the Konoha Council had attempted to force his youngest daughter, as well as Inoichi's daughter, the Snake Lady, and his nephew's romantic interest into the Clan Restoration Act.

The reason being? As it turned out, Sasuke Uchiha had taken a recently-graduated genin under his wing, teaching him the ropes. The boy was an orphan, and was looking to make a name for himself as a shinobi. What better way to make a name for yourself when you have Sasuke Uchiha training you?

Then, three weeks ago, when the kid made Chuunin, Sasuke showed his appreciation by shoving a Chidori into the kid's chest, killing him instantly, but more importantly, gaining the eyes of the betrayer – the Magenkyou Sharingan. Only problem was that his daughter, Hanabi, Cell Nine, Anko Mitarashi, and the younger Ino-Shika-Cho trio had witnessed the murder. Of course Sasuke was under the protection of Danzou and the Konoha Council, so the murder was swept under the rug, and written off as 'justifiable homicide.'

Only the elder Ino-Shika-Cho and Hiashi had backed their children and Cell Nine, while Sasuke had the backing of both the Godaime and the Council.

Then, it all came to a head a week ago...

[Flashback]

_Konoha Council Chambers._

_The tension was thick inside the council chambers. On one side was the civilian members of the council, the merchants and the wealthy elite of Konohagakure no Sato. On the other side, was the shinobi clan heads of the council – Inoichi Yamanaka, Hiashi Hyuuga, Shikaku Nara, Chouza Akamichi, Tsume Inuzuka, Asuma Sarutobi, Shibi Aburame and Kakashi Hatake. Their children sat alongside their parents. Anko Mitarashi was even present at the council's request._

_Seated at the head of the chambers, flanked by her advisers – Koharu Utatane and Honmura Mitokado – was Tsunade Senju, the Godaime Hokage of Konoha. Standing in front and to the side of the Godaime, was the warhawk and commander of the ROOT ANBU, Danzou Shimura. Standing next to him, looking smug over the fact that he had gotten away with murder, was Sasuke Uchiha, now Danzou's protege and the number two guy in the ROOT ANBU._

"_What is this meeting about?" Inoichi demanded._

_Koharu cleared her throat. "It is clear to us that there is quite a bit of tension in Konoha after that dreadful business with that Chuunin that the Uchiha had studied under."_

"_Dreadful?" Tenten parroted. "He shoved a Chidori into the guy's chest in front of my cell, Anko, Hanabi and the Ino-Shika-Cho!"_

"_We see it as justifiable homicide," Honmura frowned. _

_Shikaku Nara grunted. "Justified only because you sacrificed a Chuunin just so that the Uchiha runt could get the Magenkyou."_

"_You should watch your mouth, Nara," Sasuke threatened. "I am the prince of this village."_

"_No, you are a blight," the lazy Nara head retorted. "You are too troublesome for your own good, even as Danzou's lapdog."_

_Sasuke glared at the Nara clan head/Jounin Commander, Sharingan ablaze. "I'm nobody's lapdog, Nara. I am an elite among elite. You should remember that well. Because I have no problem in showing you what the Magenkyou Sharingan can do."_

_Sasuke then jerked slightly. He then found himself pulling out a kunai from his pouch and holding it against his own throat. Looking down, he saw that his shadow was connected to Shikamaru's own, the slacker of a Jounin having used his Kagemane to ensnare the Uchiha. _

"_Threaten my father again, Uchiha, and Itachi will be the true 'last Uchiha,'" Shikamaru threatened._

_Before things could get out of control, Tsunade had called for order. "That's enough. Shikamaru...Sasuke...the both of you stand down."_

_Sasuke did not plan on doing just that, but a look from Danzou said otherwise. He deactivated the Sharingan, while Shikamaru released the Kagemane. _

"_This fighting is pointless," Tsunade said, once both sides calmed down. "We need to show the other villages that despite our trials and tribulations, that Konoha is still strong, that the Will of Fire still burns bright in all of us."_

_Hiashi and the Ino-Shika-Cho did not like where this is going._

"_Which is why we have decided to reactivate the Clan Restoration Act in order to rebuild the Uchiha clan," Honmura said. "Sakura Haruno has already been chosen by Sasuke to be his wife. And he has chosen Anko Mitarashi, Tenten, Ino Yamanaka and Hanabi Hyuuga to be his secondary wives."_

_The fathers looked like they've been gut-punched. Sasuke remained smug._

"_You should be honored to have your daughters bear the great responsibility of restoring the Uchiha Clan back to greatness," Koharu continued, "that Sasuke has chosen them to help rebuild his clan."_

_Hiashi quickly recovered. "Honored? Even without my eyes, I can see where this is going. You activated the C.R.A. in order to keep myself and Inoichi in line through our daughters after they had witnessed the Uchiha murder an innocent shinobi."_

"_Justifiable homicide," Danzou corrected. "It was self-defense."_

"_Justified in the fact that Sasuke now has the Magenkyou," Inoichi shot back. "I refuse to accept this so-called decision of this council. My daughter is not a prize, nor is she breeding stock. Haruno wants to pimp out her daughter, fine, but I will not let Ino marry Sasuke."_

"_The same with mine," Hiashi seconded. _

"_I would rather marry Orochimaru than spend one day as that bastard's wife," Anko snapped._

"_Silence!" Tsunade barked. "The council has decided, and I have agreed! Your daughters and Tenten will be married off to Sasuke Uchiha by the end of the month! If you fail to comply, then I will strip you of clan status, and your children will become wards of the village. Either way, the C.R.A. still stands, and the girls will be married off to Sasuke Uchiha. Do not test me on this matter."_

"_Lord Yamanaka...Lord Hyuuga...please be reasonable," Honmura said smoothly, trying to act as the voice of reason. "Both of your clans have been here in Konoha ever since this village was founded by Tsunade's grandfather, which means that your clans are only clans because of your skills. Konoha has been good to your clans ever since you joined the village, and it would be a shame if that relationship ended so abruptly. Instead of thinking about your own personal, selfish desires, maybe you should do what's right."_

_Inoichi had caught the underlying meaning, as did Hiashi. Both men looked at their daughters, as if they were playing with their lives. _

_Then Hiashi slowly rose to his feet, and within seconds, stood before the Godaime, her advisers, Danzou and Sasuke. "Adviser Mitokado...you are absolutely right," he said._

_The advisers smiled, as did Sasuke..._

_...that is, until Hiashi reached inside his robes and pulled out his hitai-ate. _

"_I believe the time to do what is right is now," Hiashi said, dropping his hitai-ate, where it made a loud **CLINK** upon impacting the ground before walking out of the council chambers._

_Meanwhile, both generations of the Ino-Shika-Cho looked at one another, and nodded in understanding. It was time to go._

_At the same time, Hanabi pulled off her own hitai-ate and dropped it alongside her father's own. **CLINK.**_

_**CLINK.** Neji Hyuuga's forehead protector landed on top of the hitai-ates left by his uncle and cousin. **CLINK. CLINK.** Tenten and Rock Lee's hitai-ates landed on top of their teammate's._

"_Wait!" Koharu shouted. "You can't do this!"_

_**CLINK.** Inoichi's hitai-ate landed on the growing pile. _

_**CLINK.** Chouza. **CLINK.** Chouji._

_The sound of metal striking the floor was making Tsunade even more angry._

"_You are shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato! Remember that!" Koharu shouted._

_**CLINK.** Both Ino and Anko gave Sasuke the finger as they walked out, dropping their hitai-ates as they walked out._

"_This is sedition! Treason!" Danzou shouted. _

_**CLINK.** Shikaku and Shikamaru's hitai-ates lands on the pile at the same time. _

"_No. Consider this our resignation," Shikaku drawled as he and Shikamaru walked out of the chambers._

_With that act of defiance, what would be known as the Konoha Exodus has begun._

[End Flashback]

"A ryo for your thoughts?"

The voice of Shikaku Nara brought Hiashi back to reality. Turning around, Hiashi faced the now-former Jounin Commander and his two teammates.

"You've been on edge ever since we've arrived," Shikaku said. "Anything we should know that we don't already?"

Hiashi looked at the three men. It was time to come clean. "The West was the ancestral home of my clan," he began. "The Hyuuga originally came from Kimon, now the Imperial Capital. When the wars intensified, my clan moved across the sea to the East and settled in Konoha."

"So in effect, you are coming back home," Chouza said.

Hiashi nodded. "There's more. Once the wars here were done with, and the Pekara Merchants began to arrive, I was visited by a member of the merchant house, who gave me a message. Both Naruto and my daughter had fled to the West when Uzumaki was banished and had fought in the Unification Wars."

"So the kid's still alive," Shikaku said, nodding. "Given who his parents were, it's really not surprising."

"Through the merchant, Hinata and Naruto had both promised myself and whoever came with the clan political asylum in the West should things get out of hand back in Konoha."

"Sounds like those two are pretty well-connected with the Emperor to pull that off," Inoichi said.

Hiashi nodded. "It seems that way."

"Attention! We will be docking at the Imperial Capital in thirty minutes," the first mate shouted as he moved along the deck. "Upon docking, you will be asked to produce identification, so have your ID cards out and ready. Anyone who does not comply will be taken to jail for the night, and you will be sent back East the following morning. Let's not get arrested tonight people, it looks very bad on my record."

Hiashi sighed, the anticipation evident on his face. "Can't believe it's been so long since I've seen Hinata."

"Come on, Hyuuga," Inoichi said. "We have to prepare."

* * *

Kimon Harbor.

The boat containing the four clans and a sizable number of Jounin docked at Kimon Harbor. Once the boat was secured, the refugees began to disembark. At the end of the docks was the gates which led to the Imperial Capital. Two guards, one shinobi, the other a samurai, were posted at the gates on guard duty.

The samurai was older than his shinobi counterpart, and were studying the Konoha refugees as they approached. "Caravan, citizen, pilgrim, tourist, or...?"

Hiashi stepped forward, brandishing the scroll. "We are refugees from the East. My daughter sent this scroll through the Pekara Merchant House."

The two guards scanned the scroll for a brief moment before the shinobi disappeared via shunshin. Moments later, the shinobi reappeared, with Yugito and A in tow, the former appearing via flame shunshin, while the latter used a lightning shunshin.

"We'll take it from here," Yugito ordered.

"As you command, General Nii," the shinobi guard said, returning to his post.

Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "You're Yugito Nii, from Kumo," he said, addressing Yugito.

**'Isn't he the smart one, Kitten,'** Matatabi noted in a sarcastic tone. Yugito told her tenant to quiet down.

Hiashi turned to A. "And what is the Raikage of Kumo doing in the employ of the Emperor?"

"Former Raikage," A corrected. He pointed to the hitai-ate which was wrapped around one bicep. "I'm with the Unified West now." He pointed to Yugito. "She's been here longer than I have. Even fought in the Unification Wars, hence her rank."

"The Emperor and his wife...well, they weren't that just yet...rescued me from the Akatsuki years ago," Yugito explained. "I fought alongside them, and now, I lead my own unit."

"I thought that Hinata and Naruto would come and greet us here," Hiashi said.

"Change in plans," Yugito said. "I am to escort the clan heads and their successors to the Imperial Palace for a sit-down with The Chief and The Lady. Everyone else will follow A and head for North Kimon. Everything has been prepared for your arrival, so there is nothing to worry about."

"What about Naruto and Hinata?" Hiashi asked.

"They are waiting for you inside the Complex. Follow me, please."

* * *

Streets of Kimon City.

"So what's your story?" Ino asked as Yugito led the clan heads and their heirs through the streets of the Imperial Capital.

"I fought alongside the Emperor and his wife in the Unification Wars after they rescued me from the Akatsuki," Yugito explained. "That was five years ago. Hard to believe that the Emperor was just a snot-nosed brat back then."

"So the rumors are true. He's about our age then, right?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yup."

Shikamaru noticed that they passed the Suna Consulate, which was identified by the Suna jounin standing guard at the gates and the Suna flag – a black background with the white hourglass – hanging out in the front. "The Empire's friends with Suna?" he asked.

Yugito nodded. "Yes. Suna is pretty friendly with the Unified West. Temari is Suna's representative here. We also have representatives from Spring Country and from Mist, each with their own consulates and representatives."

"Growing up, I heard stories about the West," Chouza said. "That this place was so dangerous, not even Orochimaru would dare set foot here. Now, I see that things aren't as different here as it was back in Konoha. There's shinobi and even more samurai here than in the East."

Yugito chuckled. "Those in Iron Country originally came from here."

"I'm surprised that Konoha doesn't have a trading agreement with the Empire," Inoichi noted.

"The Emperor and Empress has eyes and ears back East," the blond jinchuuriki noted. "He nor his wife are big fans of Konohagakure. Even he knows that an alliance with a village known for its backstabbing and rewarding potential traitors solely because of their bloodlines is a bad political move."

Shikamaru snapped his fingers. "The Pekara merchants. Those are part of the Empire's spy network, right?"

"How perspective of you, Nara," Yugito nodded. "For a slacker, your intelligence is well-earned. But you are partially correct. The Pekara Merchant House seen in various locations in the East are in fact a legitimate mercantile guild. But some of its branches also house undercover informants and agents from our Intelligence Division. For all intents and purposes, Pekara Merchant House is just a humble merchants' guild."

"Clever," Hanabi said.

Minutes later, Yugito and her escort arrived at the Imperial Complex. The guards saluted Yugito, who responded with a nod as she led the group inside. "Here we are. The Imperial Complex. The nerve center of the Unified West. Home to the Emperor and the Empress Consort."

Chouza looked around and let out a low whistle. "Nice setup the Emperor has. Not to showy, but not too extravagant, either," he said as Yugito led them to the House of Sovereigns.

"And it is heavily guarded," Shikaku noted, sensing the chakra signatures around them. The Shinobi were well-hidden, while the samurai patrolled the grounds.

"Follow me. The Emperor and Empress Consort are both waiting," Yugito said.

* * *

Imperial Gardens – minutes later.

Watching from the shadows, Naruto and Hinata Namikaze watched as the clan heads and their children took in the sights of the gardens. Hiashi looked pensive, as if they reminded him of something, Hanabi, Ino and Inochi marveled at the exotic flowers and orchids, rare in the East, but common in the West. Shikamaru, Shikaku, Chouza and Chouji were looking around, taking in the surroundings.

Deciding that they had kept their guests waiting long enough, Naruto and Hinata emerged from behind the group, standing at double-arms' length.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Ahem."

Upon turning around, the last thing that the clan heads and their children were expecting to see was the former dead-last of the Konoha 11, only now, he was a spitting image of Minato Namikaze with Kushina Uzumaki's hair color, styled in the same manner as how Minato had worn it when he was alive. The whisker marks were gone, his face now shaven. Gone was the orange, as he was dressed in black, vest, pants and boots. The shirt was white, sleeves rolled up. But Hinata had shocked even Hiashi. She was dressed in not in her shinobi uniform, but rather in a stunning black cheongsam with a white lotus imprint, looked incredibly regal in her appearance.

Naruto tossed a glance at the sakura trees. "The samurai believe that the perfect blossom is a rare thing. They could spend their entire lives looking for that one perfect blossom and for them, it would not be a wasted life."

"No...way..." Ino whispered. "Naruto?"

"Here, in the West, they call me Emperor," Naruto replied.

"Wait...you're the guy who united the lands?" Chouji asked. "The Emperor of the West that everyone back East is talking about?"

Naruto nodded. He then gestured to Hinata. "Hinata also helped, as she fought by my side. She also is the founder of the Imperial Medic Corps."

To say that the clan heads, their kids and Cell Nine were shocked were an understatement. The son of the Yellow Flash and the Red Death, once known as the unpredictable knucklehead shinobi had once again lived up to his reputation of making the impossible possible.

"NARUTO!" Rock Lee dashed forward and engulfed Naruto in a bear hug, much to the amusement of his wife and the hidden shinobi guards inside the gardens. "You are the Emperor of the West?! Truly the flames of youth shine brightly in you!"

"GACK! Lee...air!" Naruto gasped. Bushy-brows had gotten pretty strong in the years since he had left Konoha.

"Oh...Sorry," Lee apologized, releasing Naruto.

Hinata's reunion with her family was less dramatic. A hug to her father, to which he had whispered, "I'm so proud of you, and your mother would be too," followed by a second hug to Hanabi and a nod to Neji, who responded in kind.

Shikamaru shook his head and chuckled. "Unbelievable. Naruto, you truly live up to your title of being unpredictable."

"Just like his parents," Shikaku seconded.

"Glad you see so much of Mom and Dad in me," Naruto said. "Take a walk with us." He and Hinata led the group down the garden's pathway; the clan heads flanking them - Hiashi and Chouza on Hinata's left and Inochi and Shikaku on Naruto's right. Cell Nine, Hanabi and the Ino-Shika-Cho tailed behind.

"So how was the way in?" Hinata asked.

"Scenic," Hiashi replied. He looked down at Hinata's hand and noticed the diamond ring on Hinata's finger and the gold wedding band on Naruto's own finger. "So...married?"

Hinata beamed. "Two years. We got married during the final battle at South Ichiyama."

Ino, having overhead, asked, "You two got married during a war? That's insane!"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "It was a spur-of-the-moment type of thing. The Alliance that opposed me was consisted of three warlords in the Southern Continent. The first one was smart enough to defect to my side. The last two decided to attack at my base in South Ichiyama. Lucky me, as the Hellcats and the Demon Brigade arrived earlier to support the troops I had here."

"He proposed to me in the midst of the fighting," Hinata continued. "Yugito conducted the ceremony right after. After the war and once Naruto and I were recognized as Emperor and Empress Consort, we did the wedding proper."

"I hate to ask you this, but..." Shikamaru began, but was cut off by Naruto.

"...You want to know about the Jinchuuriki who had disappeared, right?" When Shikamaru nodded, Naruto confirmed it for him. "The Akatsuki does not have them. I intercepted them and granted them political asylum here."

"All of the Jinchuuriki are here?" Inochi asked.

"With the exception of Gaara who is running Suna and the bijuu who was sealed inside Yagura, the jinchuuriki are safe," Naruto confirmed. "You know first hand of the bigotry and discrimination that I had faced back in Konoha at the behest of Sarutobi and the two Sannin. It was the same in Mist and Iwa. Sure Yugito and Bee were not treated as bad, but the animosity was still there. Here, the people see them not as containers, but as people. Han has made his home in the Lajha Mountains, acting as guardian to one of the mountain villages there. Roshi, the last I heard, was somewhere near Tears' Point in the Southern Region. Utakata resides in Shinokou, also in the Southern Region. Fu lives here in the Imperial Capital, as she is a member of my Intelligence Division. Bee lives at one of the trading outposts, while A acts as one of my senior advisers. You already met Yugito, as she is the commander of her own elite unit, the Hellcats."

"Your actions in Konoha and elsewhere did no go unnoticed," Shikaku noted.

"I know," Naruto replied. "I rescued Utakata from Itachi and Hoshigaki. Hell, Hinata and I rescued Yugito from the Zombie Brothers when we fled Konoha. "

"So Orochimaru plans on invading Konoha again?" Hiashi asked.

"Not at the moment. The civil war in Kumo left the village weak. It will take some time before the snake can build up his forces." He and Hinata stopped and faced the clan heads. "You four were close friends of my parents. You and the jounin with you stuck up for me when no one else did. I never got the chance to properly thank you all for that."

"No one should ever go through life the way you did," Inochi said. "Not even a jinchuuriki."

Naruto nodded. "As you know, I promised that day to make up your kindness, and I today I will honor my word. Your families will be granted both citizenship and clan status, effective immediately. The Jounin that came along with you will also be granted citizenship in the United West and will retain it provide that they serve the Unified West as they once served the Leaf." He turned to Hiashi. "Lord Hyuuga, there is one small matter that must be dealt with."

Hiashi could only guess. "The Caged Bird Seal."

The Emperor nodded. "Thanks to Hinata, I found out how to destroy the seal. This is my only condition. If you have any problems with the clan council..."

"The council and their supporters are dead, Lord Emperor," Hanabi interrupted.

Naruto and Hinata exchanged glances before turning back to the heiress. "Explain," Hinata ordered.

"There was a civil war between those who supported a marriage between myself and the Uchiha under the C.R.A., which consisted of about half of the main branch, and my father and myself, along with the more moderate members of the main branch, and all of the cadet branch," Hanabi continued. "We lost half our numbers. Tsunade tried to interfere, but Father said that it was a clan matter, and outside of her jurisdiction."

"Bet the old hag did not take that very well, did she?" Naruto asked.

"Knowing her, she would have tried to force Hanabi to marry Sasuke in order to spare Father's life," Hinata added. "Probably wound have done the same with Ino."

Inochi blanched. "You sure that was what Tsunade would have done?"

"More than likely," Naruto replied. "Your families and the others have been sent to North Kimon. Hinata and I will hold a quick meeting with the others there once you're settled in. "

"Wait, Lord Emperor," Ino cut in. "There's something else."

"No need for formalities, Ino," Naruto replied smiling broadly. "We are still friends. You and the others can address me by my name while in private. Out in public, just call me Chief. It's an old nickname that's stuck with me since my days as a warlord."

Ino nodded. "Sasuke has the Magenkyou Sharingan."

Naruto slowly nodded. "I know. I saw it when I fought him, Hatake and Yamato. I'm willing to bet that Danzou and those two old freaks that were Sarutobi's teammates had a hand in it, right?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Troublesome indeed, Naruto. Danzou and those two advisers on the council had set up one of the genin to be a student to the Uchiha. The boy, a fresh-faced academy graduate, looked up to the Uchiha in the same way that the Konohamaru Corps once looked up to you."

Naruto nodded. It was a shame that Sarutobi had tried to use his own grandson and his two friends as a connection for Naruto to remain loyal to Konoha. When the banishment orders came down, Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon had showed their true colors, denouncing him as a murderer, claiming that he was the one who had killed Biwako Sarutobi, his grandmother and Hiruzen's wife.

In the first year of Naruto's reign, the Konohamaru Corps – having recently made Chuunin – had been killed, slaughtered at the hands of Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu, Konohamaru being on the receiving end of the Jashin Ritual and Curse Jutsu.

"Sasuke befriended the boy," Chouji continued, "and took him under his wing. They became fast friends. When the boy made Chuunin, Sasuke betrayed him by shoving a Chidori into his chest. We know because, aside from Hanabi and the three of us, about seven jounin and Anko saw Sasuke commit murder."

"Let me guess," Naruto surmised. "You four, the Snake Lady and the Jounin notified the council, but Danzou and those two bastards swept it under the rug somehow. Sasuke got off scot-free, and with the Magenkyou. You even appealed to Tsunade herself, and she did nothing. Am I right so far?"

The trio and Hanabi nodded.

"You told your parents, and they believe you," Naruto continued. "The jounin who had accompanied you here are not as ga-ga over the Uchiha, correct?"

Again, the trio and Hanabi nodded.

"And when Hiashi and the first-generation Ino-Shika-Cho tried to complain to Tsunade, she told them to basically fuck off. The C.R.A. was the last straw, as it is through marriage does the Uchiha can reign in control over the Yamanaka and the Hyuuga clans. Am I right so far?"

This time, the fathers of the girls nodded.

"Even after all this time, that idiot of a former teammate is still weak," Naruto surmised. "Itachi's mercy was wasted on him. No matter. I have a buffer against the Sharingan, should the need arise."

"Which is...?" Chouza prodded.

"You are aware of the history of the Six Paths Sage, right? Of that the Uchiha and Senju are descended from him?" Naruto asked. When the gathered team nodded, Naruto continued. "That's a lie. The Six Paths had only one child – a daughter, who is the founder of the Uzumaki clan line. The founders of the Uchiha and Senju lines only trained under him. It was through Madara that he had unleashed the vixen upon Konoha when he fought Hashirama for control oft he Leaf."

"Vixen?" Hiashi repeated. "You mean..."

"Yes. The Nine-Tails is female," Naruto confirmed. "Don't worry. Kurama's not here," he added, as he caught the clan heads looking around nervously. They breathed a sigh of relief. "You'll meet her soon enough. Since you're all here, there's something else you should know regarding the Akatsuki. Something that not even Jiraiya and his information network does not know about."

"And that is...?" Inoichi asked.

"Itachi is not the only Uchiha who is a member," Naruto confirmed. "There is another. He is the true leader of the Akatsuki." Looking at the clan heads, he revealed what he know. "Kurama confirmed it for me. One thing about the bijuu is that they cannot lie. The leader of the Akatsuki is a former teammate of my idiot sensei, and the one most directly responsible as to how my life in Konoha had turned out. His name is Obito Uchiha."

It was obvious that the clan heads recognized the name. "Obito?" Chouza parroted. "He was on your father's team with Hatake. It was said that he had died in the last shinobi war."

"Apparently, the reports of his death were false. He goes by the name Tobi. And it was Obito who had unleashed Kurama onto Konoha and cased me to lose my parents," Naruto finished. "So now, this is personal. Obito will die and the Akatsuki will fall."

"And what about Sasuke?" Hiashi asked.

"He shoved a Chidori into my chest," Naruto deadpanned. "There is no hope or redemption for him. If he decides to become a threat...then I will have no problem in eliminating him as well. First things first, though. Neji Hyuuga, come forward and remove your headband."

Curious, Neji maneuvered his way around the others and stood before Naruto, the headband removed to reveal the Caged Bird Seal in all its hideous glory.

"There are no slaves here," Naruto said as he began to go through a series of handseals. "And no slave calls the other master. Dispel: Seal Destruction." he intoned, pressing two fingers against Neji's seal.

Neji felt not a searing pain, but what it felt like to him, a mild discomfort as he felt that cursed seal purged itself from his body. Hiashi and Hanabi watched in amazement as the Caged Bird Seal, once thought to be permanent once it had been placed onto a Hyuuga, burned away.

"The Caged Bird Seal, while archaic in nature, is not so permanent as most people would think," Hinata explained. "This was one of the things I had planned on doing when I became the head of the clan – to abolish that damned seal altogether."

"The seal...is it gone?" Neji whispered.

Tenten, having moved up so she could witness this, nodded, smiling happily. "Yes...it's gone."

To prove that the seal was gone, Hinata made the hand seal which would activate the Caged Bird Seal. Since Neji did not see it as he was weeping tears of joy, Hiashi and Hanabi did see Hinata's attempt to activate the seal, only to find that the seal did not activate, as it was gone for good.

"Being a fuuinjutsu expert does has its perks," Naruto explained, pulling out a scroll and handing it to Hiashi. "This is the scroll detailing how to remove the seal from the branch members." Addressing the others, he said, "As of this moment, all of you are under my protection. But this does not mean that you are given clan status right off the bat. All of you are on probation for six months. Prove your worth to myself and the council, and we will welcome you as one of the great Imperial Clans of the Unified West."

"Sounds reasonable," Hiashi said, while the Ino-Shika-Cho trio nodded in agreement.

"Good. In the meantime, go and get settled in. Tomorrow, there will be a meeting with the council at noon, as they want to meet you and your children. And tell Ibiki to come as well, as Zabuza wants to meet him. Hinata and I will have your assignments ready by then. We'll see you guys out."

"Oh, and we will be speaking with you in private about what has happened in Konoha," Hinata added.

Again, the clan heads and their children nodded. So far, the terms given to them by the former genin-turned-rulers were very generous. The last thing they wanted was to earn the ire of the Emperor and his wife.


	4. Prologue, Part Three

**Prologue, Part Three**

Snafu's Notes: Yes, before you ask, I modeled the head of the Elite Guard, Benisato Minazuki after her namesake character from the cult classic anime Ninja Scroll. Her last name came from Samurai Shodown's beast of a boss, Zankuro Minazuki. This is the longest of the Prologues. The story will officially start following the Akatsuki Invasion of Suna.

Snafu's Notes, Pt.2: I received a personal message regarding the Imperial Council. If anyone knows my modus operandi, then you know I have a habit of modeling various characters after fictional characters and real-life actors and actresses. Wrath of the Emperor is no different. Just because I was bored, here is the Imperial Council:

Kurama (Nariko - Heavenly Sword), Takuma Uzumaki (Sonny Chiba), Sonshi (Makoto 'Mako' Iwamatsu), Eiji Kibagami (Hiroyuki Sanada), Kouda Chiba (Riona Hazuki), Kokoro Yamada (Reiko Takashima), Kasumi Aihara (Koyuki Kato), Hayate Okajima (Louis Fan), Ryuji and Haruka Shinzen (Takashi Sorimachi and Nanako Natsushima), Shinoda Wakaba (Ken Watanabe), Katsumoto Kitahara (Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa), Shin Akizuki (Takeshi Kaneshiro), Rumika Todo (Cheng Pei-Pei)

Konohagakure no Sato, Fire Country.

A week had passed since the Konoha Exodus, in which four of Konoha's most prestigious clans had defected from the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Five years ago, the Village Hidden in the Leaves was considered the strongest of the shinobi villages. With the most powerful of the Jinchuuriki as a deterrent and powerful clans such as the Hyuuga and several others, it was a village that commanded respect from friend and foe alike.

Then, Sasuke Uchiha had attempted to defect to Orochimaru, but was stopped by his teammate and brought back to Konohagakure no Sato. That was followed by the tribunal which had pardoned the Uchiha and had banished the Uzumaki. Shikamaru Nara had spoken in Naruto's defense, as did his father, his two teammates' parents and Hiashi Hyuuga. The Uchiha had broken the laws, and used the Cursed Seal to combat Naruto, which meant that he had to use the Nine-Tails' power in retaliation. The law demanded that it was to be Sasuke Uchiha, not Naruto Uzumaki that should be banished.

Surprisingly enough, Anko Mitarashi, Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akamichi, Hinata Hyuuga and Cell Gai spoke in Naruto's defense. But they were ignored, and Naruto was banished. When those supporting Naruto protested, Tsunade and the council threatened to strip the four clans of clan status, to which the Hyuuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho responded in kind by threatening to leave Konoha, crippling it even more, should they try. Tsunade and the council had no other choice but to back down.

After both the Uzumaki and the former Hyuuga Heiress had fled Konoha, it had became known about the events following the Uchiha Retrieval Mission. In the months following that incident, things had went downhill from there.

Suna was the first to pull out of the alliance it had made with Konoha and Fire Country. Gaara had heard from Temari about how the Ino-Shika-Cho and Cell Gai had spoken in Naruto's defense and approved of their actions. If they decide to leave Konoha and settle in Suna, then they would be most welcome. Wave Country soon followed, terminating its trade agreements with Konoha and Fire Country.

Second, a scroll came from Spring Damiyo Koyuki Kazahana. Not only was Spring Country was terminating its trade agreements with Konoha, but given both Hatake and Jiraiya's intimate betrayal of Naruto, she was also pulling out of the Icha Icha movie. She also threatened both Jiraiya and Cell Seven with death should they step foot in Spring Country ever again. As Jiraiya would later find out, the Spring Damiyo would later star in a series of movies based off of Murasaki Shibiku's novels once the Empire had been established. As a bonus for Spring, she had left the Empire with a trading alliance for her homeland.

The same thing happened with the other countries where Naruto had made an impression. Treaties and alliances were pulled out, once they found out not only the circumstances of the banishment orders, but also the relationship between Naruto and the two Sannin. A betrayal orchestrated by his godparents. A betrayal by family.

In the end, Konohagakure was known as a village who banishes their heroes and rewards traitors. The Fire Lord, as well as the village itself and the two Sannin would be synonymous with the word 'hypocrite,' while Kakashi Hatake, the majority of the clans who supported the banishment order, and Sasuke Uchiha himself would be synonymous with the word 'traitor.'

Even Iwa, who hated Konoha with a passion, was shocked as to how the son of their most hated enemy was treated. Despite the Stone's long-standing policy on jinchuuriki, they would have thought that the son of the Yondaime would be better treated.

Two years passed, and despite Tsunade sending out shinobi and ANBU to search for Naruto and Hinata, nothing was heard from them. Then came the rumors from the West. A place which was war-torn since the era of the Six Paths that not even the Akatsuki would dare to travel there. The wars which had plagued the West were now over, and the lands were brought under the rule of a single ruler and his wife. The Emperor and Empress Consort.

Then, merchant houses began to appear in Spring Country, Wave Country and Wind Country and several minor countries. From what Asuma had found out from several traveling merchants while attending the Chuunin Exams with his nephew's team while in Suna, the mercantile guild was known as the Pekara Merchant House, and it had originated from the West, now known as the Unified Western Empire. Its rulers was the Emperor and his wife, the Empress Consort.

"From what I found out, the Emperor is just a kid," Asuma had said. "He was only fourteen when he killed one of the more powerful warlords and united the Western lands under his rule two years later. His wife, the Empress Consort, is a medic-nin and oversees the Imperial medic program. The Pekara merchants spoke highly of him. He is loved by the people and respected by shinobi and samurai alike. Out of everyone in the West, he is clearly the strongest."

Sasuke Uchiha wasn't impressed.

Then, one year after Asuma had given his report, Jiraiya reported that the jinchuuriki were disappearing. Yugito Nii was the first, but she had vanished around the same time Naruto had been banished. Then came the reports that Iwa had lost their jinchuuriki. And not long after that, A and Bee were overthrown by pro-Oto forces and they too disappeared. Fu from Taki had also vanished and the rogue Mist ninja Utakata and his student Hotaru were also gone.

Tsunade and Jiraiya had suspected that the Akatsuki had taken them, but in the back of their minds, they suspected that the Unified West was the main culprit, as Jiraiya had heard that the Akatsuki did not have any of them through his spy. The only Jinchuuriki left in the Elemental Countries was Gaara and he was the Kazakage of Suna. Second, the Emperor had quite the interest in Wave Country, as Konoha had found out when they tried to send a force led by Kakashi Hatake to force Tazuna and the Wave Council to reestablish relations with Konoha and to change the name of the bridge from the Great Naruto Bridge to the Great Uchiha Bridge.

Upon reaching the bridge, they arrived just in time to see the bridge detonate from the multitude of exploding tags, once again separating Wave form Fire Country. Disappointed, the Konoha shinobi returned home.

It was also known that a high-ranking official and his wife - a man dressed in black conducted inspection tours of the Pekara Merchant House branches in the East. Konoha jumped at the chance to find out the identity of the mystery ruler and his wife. Danzou Shimura had sent two squads of his elite ROOT ANBU to retrieve The Emperor and his wife. He did not take into consideration that the Man in Black would have a crack team of bodyguards consisting of shinobi and samurai guarding them. Jiraiya had came along to watch from the shadows, and watched in shock at eight warriors took apart twelve of Danzou's Elite Ne forces while the Man in Black and his wife merely sat back and watched while drinking their tea.

Much to Jiraiya's dismay, the man's face was concealed by a black Kage-style hat, while the woman's dark bangs concealed her eyes, so identification was a bust.

Danzou was furious. The Ne he had sent was the cream of the crop, and the Elite Guards - the mystery man's bodyguards - had crushed them without breaking a sweat. Jiraiya had reported to the council that the Elite Guards were - if not – even more skilled than their Tokubetsu Jounin.

Six months after that, Jiraiya had received word from his spy network that Orochimaru was seen lurking near the Fire-Wind border with Kabuto, checking out the Pekara Outpost, located about five miles inside Wind Country. There, he witnessed from the shadows both Kabuto and Orochimaru get their asses handed to them by who he managed to identify as the commander of the Man in Black's bodyguards. When Orochimaru summoned Manda, she responded by producing her own summon – a massive, seven-headed serpent which was even bigger than Manda. Orochimaru, Kabuto and Manda were forced to retreat.

It was then decided that Hatake, Yamato and Sasuke Uchiha - the latter having been taken as an apprentice to Danzou - was the best chance that Konoha had in getting the information needed from the mystery man. Jiraiya's spy network had tracked the Man in Black to Tea Country, where one of his Elite Guards was competing in a Taijutsu tournament.

By this time, the Man in Black was well-known, even to the point that a group of S-class missing ninja from Kumo and Iwa tried to kidnap him for ransom, and had also tracked him to Tea Country. And as Kakashi, Yamato and Sasuke bear witnessed, the Man in Black himself was a highly skilled fighter, as he brutally killed the S-class group of missing-nin easily. Missing ninja that could even give Konoha some serious problems.

Even more so, he killed them all without breaking a sweat.

From Kakashi and Yamato's reports, Sasuke had initiated combat first, followed by Kakashi and Yamato. Despite both Sasuke and Kakashi wielding the Sharingan and Yamato using the Mokouton, the Man in Black had brutally beaten all three men down. Kakashi had it the worst, as the Man in Black had punted him through a tree. Yamato was out of the running with a broken leg, leaving Sasuke to fight the man.

It was Sasuke himself who was privy as to who the Man in Black was.

The Man in Black was the Emperor of the Unified West.

Once Jiraiya had confirmed it, Tsunade had rescinded her orders in bringing the man in, as the last thing she wanted was a war that could easily spell disaster for Konoha.

But the council was not convinced, and there was a group of Pekara merchants in the village. Deciding to hear it from the horse's mouth, Tsunade summoned one of the merchants in for questioning.

* * *

Konoha Council Chambers

The merchant in question was a former kunoichi named Sachiko Asahina. Following the Unification War, she had left her unit at the age of twenty-seven and had signed on to the Western Empire's Intelligence Division, which ultimately led her to the East, her assignment being Fire County. Her cover was that of a kunoichi-turned-merchant working for the Pekara Merchant House's outpost on the Fire-Lightning border. But in truth, she never did retired from duty.

She also had a paltry bounty of 25 million ryo placed on her head, given her role in killing a group of bandits who had tried to raid the Pekara Merchant caravan while on the road to the Fire Capital. From what Konoha knew about her, she held a bloodline - Fire Release, allowing her to wield purple flames. Twice a week, she and her entourage of Pekara Merchants would travel to Konoha. She was also loyal to her Emperor to the point that she nearly blew her cover when she ended up arriving on the anniversary of Naruto's banishment. Fortunately, her co-workers had managed to calm her down.

So imagine her surprise while packing up the stand and preparing for the trip back to the Fire Capital she was summoned to the Hokage Tower by three members of the ANBU to face the Konoha Council. Jiraiya was also present, watching from the sidelines. The years had not been too kind on the Sannin. Once his role in Naruto's betrayal had became known, his reputation had went down the gutter. Through Damiyo Kazahana, his Icha Icha series had stopped selling throughout the Elemental Countries, the Icha Icha movie would not be made.

In his last mission, Jiraiya had narrowly survived. While investigating the Akatsuki, Jiraiya was ambushed near Amegakure by Konan and the Six Paths of Pain. Despite his Senjutsu and his Toads Summon, Jiraiya had nearly died in the encounter. Last, his Icha Icha series had lost its popularity due to a new series of romantic novels and poems emerging from the West through the Pekara Merchants by Murasaki Shibiku.

Much to Jiraiya's dismay, Murasaki's novels were a lot better than the raunchy Icha Icha series. So much so that Koyuki Kazahana had signed on to do the movies.

Tsunade looked at the former kunoichi, easily identified by her crimson flak vest and her ninjato, which was strapped to her back. Sachiko looked back at her with a bored, yet curious expression. Also present was Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha, the latter looking at her like she was a piece of meat.

The Slug Sage cleared her throat. "First off, thank you for coming to this meeting. You are not in trouble of any kind. We just have some questions we would like to ask of you."

Sachiko shrugged her shoulders. "Shoot."

"First off, what's your name?" Tsunade asked.

"Sachiko Asahina. Former Captain of the Imperial Defense Forces, Third Battalion, Seventh Division, First Squad. Now, I'm a merchant with the Pekara Merchant House," Sachiko replied.

"A merchant, yet you are armed and wear the flak vest of a ninja," Koharu pointed out.

"I wear this as a badge of honor. To remind myself that even though I am a merchant, I will always be a ninja," Sachiko replied. "The katana is for self-defense."

The shinobi could respect that, Danzou included.

An ANBU handed her the picture of the disguised Naruto in his 'Man in Black' outfit and the disguised Hinata in her cheongsam dress, a rose in her hair, but her face was away from the picture, so identification was impossible. "Can you identify the couple in the picture?" Tsunade asked.

"Of course," Sachiko replied. "That's the Emperor of the West. The woman is his wife, the Empress Consort."

Whispers and murmurs were heard throughout the council chambers.

"Do they have names?" Danzou asked.

"They do, but I am under orders not to say it. To ensure this, there is a seal on my tongue which keeps me from speaking their names. The Emperor and his wife has many enemies, and there are those in the East who wish to make a name for themselves by eliminating His Imperial Majesty and take his throne. His clan is virtually the richest out of all of the clans in the West."

That was understandable to the gathered Shinobi.

"That's not good enough," Asana Haruno snapped. "Tell us their names."

Sachiko turned to the civilian council member. "You don't like that? Tough shit. I answer to the Emperor and the Empress Consort, not you."

"How dare you!" Asana shouted, rising to her feet. "You will tell us their names right now, or else we will have you arrested!"

"Haruno...sit down," Tsunade ordered. Leave it to the hotheaded Haruno to antagonize their guest.

"But..." Asana sputtered.

"Shut up and sit down!" the Godaime bellowed, the sheer will alone made Asana collapse into her seat. Once Asana was properly humbled, Tsunade turned back to Sachiko. "I apologize for Representative Haruno's behavior."

"Apology accepted, Lady Hokage," Sachiko replied. "I take it you want to know more about The Boss?"

"The Boss?" Tsunade repeated.

"It's a nickname we have for The Emperor," Sachiko explained. "It goes back during the days of the Unification War."

"To answer your question, yes," Tsunade replied. "We would like to know more."

"He's tall. Six feet even, reddish-blond hair, blue eyes. But when he uses his bloodline, they turn to purple with a ripple-like pattern. Likes to wear black, which earned him the nickname 'The Man in Black.' I fought alongside him and his wife in the Unification War, back when he was a teenager."

"You mean..." Tsume began.

Sachiko nodded. "He unified the lands and became Emperor when he was sixteen years old. That was two years ago. Quite an amazing feat for a kid. Both he and The Lady married during the final battle at South Ichiyama."

Sasuke snorted. "Had I been in command of the Imperial forces, I would have ended the conflict much sooner, as I am an elite."

Sachiko turned to the Uchiha with an innocent smile. "I seriously doubt that. Word has spread that you and two other Jounin-level shinobi had been defeated at The Boss' hands. This **after **he had killed a group of S-class shinobi. So much for being an elite."

"What can you tell us about his wife?" Shibi Aburame asked, quickly defusing the situation while Kakashi ordered Sasuke to sit down.

"His wife is no slouch. She is highly skilled in Taijutsu and medical ninjitsu. She is also the founder of the Imperial Medical Corps, which produces top-notch medics for both shinobi and samurai."

In the meantime, something had clicked in Jiraiya's head. Sachiko had said that his eyes were purple...with ripples, a sign of his bloodline. Kakashi and Yamato said the same thing in their reports. He then asked her, "Your Emperor...the bloodline you described...purple eyes with ripples..."

"Yes," Sachiko confirmed. "The Emperor wields the most powerful of the dojutsu – the Rinnegan. As he is a direct descendant of the Six Paths Sage, the bloodline passed down to him, thus earning him the nickname 'Emperor of the Six Paths.'"

"I thought only the Senju and the Uchiha were descended from the Six Paths," Danzou said.

"The Six Paths adopted the ancestors who would become the Uchiha and Senju clan founders," Sachiko calmly explained. "The Six Paths had one child – a daughter, of whom the Rinnegan was passed onto. She is the true descendant of the Six Paths. Is that all? I need to get back to the outpost."

Tsunade nodded and with a small bow, Sachiko used a fire shunsin to make her exit.

* * *

Office of the Hokage

After Tsunade had dispersed the council, she was back inside her office. Also present were the two elder advisers, Councilman Shimura and Jiraiya. Shizune stood nearby, holding Tonton in her arms.

"What do you know about the Rinnegan?" Tsunade asked her former teammate.

"It's what Asahina says; the most powerful of the dojutsu," Jiraiya explained. "It allows the wielder to master each of the five elements. Only one other person had the Rinnegan, but I have lost contact with him early on."

"It can't be even more powerful than the Sharingan, can it?" Honmura asked.

"It is," Jiraiya confirmed. "Add the fact that the Emperor is not much older than the Uchiha, and the West live and breathe warfare ever since the era of the Six Paths, the Emperor could...no, **is** a powerful warrior. In some cases, he could be even more powerful than the first four Hokages combined."

"There's no way that a snot-nosed brat could be even more powerful than the Uchiha!" Koharu snapped.

"Still, this is something that we cannot ignore," Danzou commented. "With Konoha's reputation in the gutter, we are at its weakest since the Nine-Tails attacked us. Suna stands poised to take our position as the strongest shinobi village and the village in Spring Country is a serious threat to our standing. With the other nations supporting the Kyuubi brat, our enemies can attack us without penalty. This Man in Black, this...Emperor of the Unified West...we must reach out to him, to seek an alliance with him."

"I concur," Honmura seconded. "The Unified West, from what I have heard, has powerful warriors, both shinobi and samurai. If we can get an alliance with him, we can send advisers to the Western Empire to make sure that he has Konoha's 'best interests' at heart."

The hidden statement did not go by Jiraiya or Tsunade. What Homura had meant by 'best interests' had literally meant using the Empire's resources and manpower to rebuild Konoha's infrastructure, and if the Emperor was a weak-willed fellow, then they could make him into a puppet ruler while they controlled everything from behind the scenes.

Tsunade turned to Jiraiya. "Looks like you're going to the Western Empire, Jiraiya. Consider this an S-ranked mission of the utmost importance. But you're not going alone. I want you to take Captains Hatake and Sarutobi with you, along with Jounins Haruno, Inuzuka and Aburame as escort. Aside from yourself, Koharu and Honmura will accompany you. Find out what the Emperor's motives are, and see if the rumors of him retrieving the Jinchuuriki are true."

"If they are?" Jiraiya prodded.

"The bijuu are the property of the Senju clan, which makes the Jinchuuriki, by extension, property of the Senju and of the Leaf," Tsunade replied. "My grandfather handed over the bijuu to the other shinobi villages in order to keep the peace. If the Emperor did in fact take the Jinchuuriki, he shifted the balance of power in his favor."

"Which means that if he does become hostile, then he could unleash the power of the Jinchuuriki on the Leaf," Jiraiya finished.

"I will go as well," Danzou said. "Sasuke Uchiha and Sai will accompany me as my personal guards. Someone has to see whether or not the Empire will be a threat to the Leaf in the future. If the Emperor decided to join our side, it will prove beneficial to us in the long run."

"Fine," Tsunade snapped. "Make sure that both you and Hatake keeps a leash on the Uchiha. I will not have Konoha destroyed because that idiot cannot keep his ego in check. Who knows? The Uchiha could find himself a wife in the Unified West, which could make our claim even more stronger." Looking around for a moment, she asked, "Where is Sasuke?"

* * *

Streets of Konoha, at the same time...

Sachiko Asahina appeared before the other Pekara merchants, as they had just finished packing up their stand, securing the loads onto several horse-pulled carts.

"Everything okay, Captain?" Miko Nanakase asked. Unlike Sachiko, she was a samurai assigned to protect the Pekara merchants.

Sachiko nodded. "Yes. Everything is fine. Let's go."

As Sachiko and the Pekara caravan and their guard prepared to make their way out of Konoha, they received an unwelcome sight.

That sight was Sasuke Uchiha. He was not alone, as he was flanked by two of Danzou's ROOT ANBU.

'Wonderful," Sachiko muttered. When she had accepted the assignment to head overseas as part of the Empire's information network, Naruto had briefed the team of informants and merchants about the senior hierarchy within Konoha, as well as his former team. So she was prepared when she was brought in for questioning by the Godaime and the council.

Sasuke fell in step beside Sachiko, the ROOT ANBU following close behind. "You are a strong kunoichi, Captain Asahina," he began.

"Where I'm from, you have to be," Sachiko replied. "You either become strong or you become the victim."

"I was there, you know, when your caravan was attacked by bandits," Sasuke continued. "And I pride myself in seeing strength as well as beauty."

Sachiko, on the other hand, was fighting the urge not to gut her Emperor's former teammate.

"As you can see, I am just like you – an elite," Sasuke said. "Although the people in Konohagakure treat me more like a prince."

"Can you make this quick?" Sachiko asked. "Not to sound rude or anything, but my people have a long journey ahead of us. We need to get back to the outpost."

"Very well," Sasuke replied. "Captain Asahina, I am proposing that we unite our clans in marriage."

Sachiko stopped and turned to the Uchiha. "I am honored that you would ask me to marry you..." she replied, "but I must decline, as I am already married."

That shot Sasuke down. "Pity. What does your husband have that I don't? I am an Uchiha. An elite among elite. No matter. When you want a true shinobi for a husband, I will be waiting, Captain Asahina."

'I wouldn't hold my breath, you bastard,' Sachiko thought darkly as she and her caravan exited the village.

* * *

The next day, inside the House of Sovereigns...

Hiashi Hyuuga, Hanabi Hyuuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, Ino Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru Nara, Chouza Akamichi, Chouji Akamichi, Anko Mitarashi, and Ibiki Morino stood before the Imperial Council. Naruto and Hinata Namikaze sat at their usual heads at the table, along with Takuma Uzumaki, A and Kurama. Naruto had revealed Kurama as the Nine-Tails in human form, and had explained the circumstances in regards to the attack on Konoha.

The clan heads and their heirs had taken the news quite well. That and the Empire was also home to half-demons and hanyou, all who had sworn loyalty to the Emperor and Empress Consort. Zabuza Momichi was also present, the Mist Swordsman-turned-Demon Brigade General wishing to meet the legendary Ibiki.

Naruto and Hinata were all business, not letting their personal relationships with the Konoha refugees get in the way as the council introduced themselves to the former clan heads and their children.

"Now, I've been looking over your files along with my wife and my advisers," Naruto began, "and we have come up with your assignments. First off, in order to do your job, you are all hereby promoted to Jounin."

An aide appeared before the refugees, holding several hitai-ates on a small tray. Hiashi, Hanabi, Ibiki and both generations of the Ino-Shika-Cho each retrieved a hitai-ate.

Once the aide was gone, Naruto contined with the meeting. "Ibiki Morino...you, Anko Mitarashi and Inoichi Yamanaka are assigned to the Interrogation Division." At that moment, Zabuza stepped forward. "This is General Zabuza Momichi, commander of the Demon Brigade, and head of the Interrogation Division."

Inoichi recognized the name. "You're the 'Demon of the Mist.'"

"That I am," Zabuza replied. "But I prefer the 'Demon of Kimon.' The Chief has spoken highly of you, Yamanaka." Turning to Ibiki, he said, "Morino...So we finally meet in the flesh."

"I've heard of you as well, Momichi," Ibiki replied.

"I just wanted to say that I am a big fan of your work, and I can't wait to see you in action," Zabuza said. "Here, we are in the business of interrogation and torture. And let me tell you that here...business is good."

Hinata nudged her husband. "You think that Zabuza enjoys his job a bit too much?" she whispered.

"Can't deny the results," Naruto whispered back. Clearing his throat, Naruto continued the meeting. "Shikamaru Nara...you noticed the Suna Consulate in the city, right?"

"Yeah, I did, Chief," the slacker replied.

"Your assignment is that you are my liaison to the Suna Consulate," Naruto said. "Temari is the Suna representative here."

Shikamaru muttered 'Troublesome' under his breath, but accepted the assignment.

"Shikaku Nara, as you were the Jounin Commander, you are assigned to the Ministry of Shinobi Affairs under Okajima," Naruto said. "Despite your bad habits of being a slacker, you are also impartial and will not take no one's sides when it comes to investigating shinobi matters. Chouza and his son will accompany you. This does not mean that I will break up the Ino-Shika-Cho. Both teams will be called on to help the people."

Hinata turned to Ino. "Ino Yamanaka...your file said that you were studying to be a medic-nin, right?"

"Yes, Lady Hinata," Ino replied.

"The Imperial Medic Corps has produced top-notch medic-nins and combat medics," Hinata explained. "Matsuri of Suna was a protegee of mine, as she is now the head of Suna's medic program. If you wish, you can study under me."

Ino nodded her head in approval. "I'd be...I'd be honored, Lady Hinata," she gushed.

Hinata turned to her father. "Since it's only fair for one of my husband's clansmen to serve as an adviser, I talked it over with the others and they agreed to offer you the chance to join the adviser staff."

"I accept your offer," Hiashi said. "There is still the matter of your position within the clan."

"Hanabi can take over as head of the clan," Hinata suggested. "I will officially hand over that responsibility to her."

Hiashi nodded. "And the other Hyuuga?"

"They will serve as part of the military police force patrolling Kimon," Naruto replied. "There's something else I want to know. What were the views on the other jounin senseis?"

"They supported the Godaime and the C.R.A.," Shikaku said. "Sarutobi and his wife, Maito Gai, and Hatake."

At that moment, a shinobi working for the Intelligence Division appeared via shunshin and handed Naruto a scroll. Naruto thanked the shinobi, who disappeared and opened the scroll. Hinata leaned over to read the contents of the scroll and immediately frowned.

"Well," Naruto drawled. "That didn't take them very long."

"What is it?" Inoichi asked.

Naruto passed the scroll to a guard, who in turn passed it to Hiashi, allowing him and the other clan heads to read over his shoulders. "This has been verified?" Hiashi asked.

"Afraid so," Naruto replied. "But it was something that I was expecting once the West became known to the countries and the shinobi villages back East. Looks like I'm going to have to face my past."

"Troublesome," Shikaku said. "Senju has sent Jiraiya, Shimura, Mitokado and Utatane here, with Hatake, Sarutobi and the remnants of Cells Seven and Eight as part of their guard."

"Konoha has become desperate," Naruto said. "With my banishment, they had became a virtual pariah state along with all of Fire Country. Now, with four of their clans here, along with some of their most experienced jounin, Konoha – in the eyes of the other major villages – will no longer be seen as one of the strongest. Suna will more than likely take Konoha's spot as the strongest village."

"There's still the matter of the envoy," Sonshi continued, interlacing his fingers. "With Konoha's reputation gone, Senju had more than likely sent the envoy here to negotiate a military and political alliance."

"Second," Katsumoto added, "since the Imperial Nation is still young as is our rulers, Konoha would only leech off of us, use our resources to further their agenda. In most cases, they would transform our Emperor into a puppet ruler."

"And Danzou?" Shikaku asked.

"It takes a warhawk to know a warhawk," the elder samurai continued. "Shimura wants to investigate our military capabilities, to gauge our strength. Despite their political savvy, we have the muscle. But most important, to see whether or not we are a threat. In the event that he sees us as such, more than likely, he would, shall we say, cut the head off the snake."

"Are you sure about that?" Hiashi asked.

"If I was Shimura, I would," Sonshi replied. "What's the exact time of arrival?"

"They will arrive on Thursday night," Naruto replied. "As much as I would like to turn them away, I can't as it would violate the laws of hospitality in regards to foreign envoys."

* * *

Meanwhile, with Cell Nine...

While Naruto and the Imperial Council made plans as to how they would deal with Jiraiya and the Konoha envoy once they arrived, Tenten, Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga decided to walk around the Imperial Capital. Neji was in good spirits following the removal of the Caged Bird Seal. Aside from that fact, he could publicly pursue his relationship with Tenten without any consequence. As noon approached, the trio was strolling through the Imperial Capital's Merchant District, when Tenten stopped in her tracks in front of a store.

Once Neji and Rock Lee stopped and looked at what caused Tenten to stop, they shook their heads in resignation. Tenten had been their teammate for many years and she prided herself on being the resident weaponsmaster for Cell Gai.

Which is why the store in question which made Tenten pause was Kimon's premier weapons shop (think the Wutai weapons shop, but bigger). The sign on the side read **HIMURA WEAPONS AND ACCESORIES**. Resigning themselves to their proverbial fate, Neji and Rock Lee followed Tenten inside. Weapons lined the walls. Swords, staffs, various melee weapons, the works. The weapons vendor was easily identified by her khaki flak vest as a member of the Hellcats, and she looked older than Tenten. She watched with mild amusement as the woman with the buns looked at the weapons with great interest. Behind the vendor was various types of equipment and accessories.

"Need help with anything?" the vendor asked.

Tenten shook her head. "No. Just looking."

"I can see you have an eye for weapons," the vendor said.

"You have no idea," Neji said, ignoring the nasty look his girlfriend was giving him.

"You won't find no better weapons here in the West, or in the East, for that matter," the vendor said. That comment got the trio's attention.

"How did you...?" Rock Lee began.

"It's quite the hot topic here among the people here. That and it's pretty obvious that you three are not originally from here. I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Miko Himura. This is my family's weapons shop."

"I used to own a weapons shop back in Konoha," Tenten replied. "But I ended up having to sell it when I left Konoha during the Exodus." She picked up a knife and inspected it. To Tenten, it was unique, as the blade was about 24 inches long, the cutting edge of the blade being inwardly curved in shape.

"That's a favorite weapon in the Lahja Mountains north of here," Miko explained. "The Empress wields a pair. It's called a kukri knife."

"It's beautiful," Tenten said.

"The metal used in our weapons comes from the Lajha Mountains," Miko explained. "The iron in the mountains is very strong. Aside from selling weapons, we also do custom orders, as our clan are also the best swordsmiths and metal workers in the West. We carry katanas, ninjatos, tantos, dao broadswords, just damn near anything your heart desires. We also sell accessories such as storage scrolls, weights, even medical kits."

"So what are you? Shinobi or Samurai?" Neji asked.

"Samurai," Miko replied. "Recently promoted to the rank of Seiseibushi, which is the samurai equivalent of Jounin. So you came from Konoha, which meant you knew The Chief and his wife when they were growing up, right?" When the trio nodded, Miko asked, "So what were they like?"

"He wore orange," Tenten deadpanned. "A color which all but screamed 'Kill Me.' That, and he was known as the unpredictable, knuckleheaded ninja of Konoha."

"His wife is my cousin. She had a crush on him when we were in the academy. Our relationship was for lack of a better term...strained," Neji said, remembering the Chuunin Exams in which he had nearly killed Hinata out of spite, followed by Naruto beating him inside the Konoha Stadium. "Fortunately, she's not the type to hold grudges."

Tenten eyed the flak vest. "I've seen that same type of vest on several of the kunoichi and samurai."

"This identifies me as a member of the Hellcats," Miko said, noticing Yugito enter the store, while the trio of shinobi did not.

"The Hellcats?" Tenten parroted. "What's that?"

"The Hellcat Unit is an all-female unit consisting of kunoichi and onna-bugeisha under my command," Yugito explained, enjoying the fact that she had gotten the jump on the three former Konoha shinobi. "We are the best at what we do and I won't work with anyone who is up to snuff."

"You have a weapons specialist?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah. Her," Yugito replied, pointing to Miko. "But she is my samurai weapons specialist. Why? You wish to sign up?"

Tenten nodded. "I'm interested in wanting to know more."

Yugito looked at the younger woman, as if she was sizing her up. "Hmm...you show promise, and I pride myself on finding such talent. Come by the Red Lotus later on for lunch. We'll talk some more."

Tenten nodded eagerly. "Okay."

The Konoha envoy consisting of Jiraiya, the two elders, Asuma Sarutobi, Kakashi Hatake, Sai and the remnants of Cells Seven and Nine, arrived in Kimon City late Thursday night. Tsunade and the Konoha Council had made it clear, as this was an SS-class mission of the utmost importance. The Konoha envoy was to gain an audience with the Emperor of the Unified West and seek a military and political alliance with Konoha and Fire Country.

Upon arrival in the Imperial Capital, the first thing that Jiraiya and the others did was secure lodgings for their stay. The customs officer who had checked their identification had pointed them in the direction of the Red Lotus Inn, a three-story inn and restaurant who catered to tourists and dignitaries. Unknown to Jiraiya and the others was that the owner of the Red Lotus was married to a member of the Empire's Information Division, the members of the Demon Brigade watching their every move.

Once the Konoha group was settled in, they had put in the request for a guide to show them around the Imperial Capital. The Red Lotus was built around two hot springs, and the Red Lotus was famous for its springs. Only the hot springs in the Lahja Mountains surpassed those found at the Inn. Of course, it took both Asuma and Kakashi to keep Jiraiya away from peeping in the hot springs.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the House of Sovereigns...

The Emperor and Empress of the Unified Western Empire were in a meeting with the captain of the Elite Guards, the team of shinobi and samurai assigned to protect the Emperor and Empress Consort. Benisato Minazuki was a member of the Minazuki clan. The Minazuki was known to both the shinobi and the samurai as the 'Snake Tribe,' for good reason, as the Minazuki clan were poison specialists, and claimed ancestry from the legendary 8-headed-serpent, Yamata no Orochi.

Aside from being poison specialists, the Minazuki were also skilled assassins, and were a serious thorn in Rokubungi Oda's side when he ran Kimon. Like Orochimaru, the Minazuki had snake summons, but unlike Manda, theirs had multiple heads and was much bigger, with Benisato's main summon being the seven-headed serpent known as Ageha. Their taijutsu style was also modeled around the snake (think She Quan, the same style Christie uses combined with Shang Tsung's Snake style), and was proven to be incredibly deadly. It was because of her abilities that she was known as the 'Snake Queen of Kimon.'

Benisato was as tough as she was beautiful, and was dressed in her casual attire which reminded Naruto of Tsunade's attire, save that the colors were different: a white haori with the design of Yamata no Orochi on the back, a black sleeveless kimono-style blouse which was held closed by a gray obi. Her pants are the same color as her blouse and obi. The tattoos on her shoulders and neckline were slightly visible, while her left arm had a tattoo of a snake coiled around her arm, ending at her wrist. Her hair fell down her back, ending at her waist.

As Naruto and Hinata found out, Benisato herself was the diametric opposite of Orochimaru. She had the beauty and brains to match the Snake Sannin, but not his ego nor his desire for immortality. Despite being roughly the age of the Sannin, she looked like she was in her mid twenties. She did not use an immortality jutsu like Orochimaru or a genjutsu like Tsunade, but as with the female members of the Minazuki clan, shed their skin to maintain their youthful appearance. Last, both her and the Minazuki clan were loyal to their Emperor and Empress.

Her mother, Saeko Minazuki, was the matriarch of the clan. She was offered a place on the council, but had declined, having decided to retire from the post and naming her second child, Benisato's younger brother Benjirou, as her successor. Benjirou worked in the Shinobi Affairs Division. A prodigy in her younger days, she was the only one who can beat Takuma Chiba six falls out of ten, and could give the Empress Consort a run for her money.

Benisato also had run-ins with the shinobi from Konohagakure no Sato, as she accompanied her Emperor and Empress to the East on inspections of the consulates and the Pekara Merchant Houses. While competing in a Taijutsu tournament in Tea Country, she had defeated Maito Gai, who was there with several other jounin investigating the Emperor and Empress Consort, unknowns to the both of them at the time. Among her victories against those who had wronged her Emperor and Empress was against Asuma Sarutobi, Tsume Inuzuka and Maito Gai. She also scared the crap out of Jiraiya when he tried to peek in on her, and forced both Orochimaru and Kabuto to retreat, which was a nice bonus.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked.

Naruto nodded. "Consider this a S-class assignment, Benisato. Nothing hard or fancy. I want you to act as an escort to the Konoha envoy when they arrive."

The Snake Queen frowned. "Why me?"

"Hinata and I want eyes on Jiraiya and the others," Naruto explained. "I wouldn't put it past for Jiraiya and the others to try anything funny while they are here. Since you have faced off and beaten most of them in combat, they would be less inclined to attack you."

"That, and Jiraiya has a dislike of snakes, as it reminds him of his former teammate," Hinata added.

Benisato thought about it for a moment. Then she nodded. "Okay, Chief, Lady Hinata. I'll take the assignment. Where are they now?"

"They are at the Red Lotus Inn," Hinata replied. "Try not to kill them."

"Okay. I will take my leave," Benisato said as she turned on her heel and walked out of the council chambers.

* * *

Red Lotus Inn, minutes later...

The following day, the Konoha shinobi were informed that their guide had arrived. To Jiraiya's shock and horror, he saw that their tour guide was the Snake Lady he had met back in Tea Country. Now fully clothed, she had a somewhat amused expression at seeing Jiraiya react upon seeing her again.

"AAHH! It's you!" Jiraiya shouted, pointing at the woman.

Asuma Sarutobi recognized the woman as well, as did Kakashi Hatake.

"You're the group looking for a guide around the city?" Benisato asked. "You're looking at her." She introduced herself. "Major Benisato Minazuki, commander of the Elite Guard." She turned to Jiraiya. "So you're leading this group, you old pervert?"

Kiba looked at Benisato with an odd look on his face. "You smell a lot like snakes," he confirmed.

Benisato turned to the feral jounin. The Konoha envoy watched as her serpent tattoo began to shift slightly. "Do you have a problem with that, dog breath?" she asked sweetly.

Kiba shook his head rapidly. "No. None at all."

"You know Jiraiya?" Asuma asked, changing the subject.

"Of course," Benisato replied. "The pervert tried to peek in on me one night while I was enjoying a late-night soak in the hot springs back in Tea Country a while back..."

[Flashback]

_Tea Country, several months ago..._

_Sneaking into the women's hot springs was easy enough for Jiraiya, but he was very disappointed upon entering, as there was a single woman inside the hotsprings. _

_Jiraiya saw only her backside, but he could tell that she was very curvaceous, her skin an exotic shade of pale. He could tell that she had long dark hair, but it was slung over one shoulder Jiraiya also noticed that from the neck down, ending at her knees, her backside and shoulders was covered in tattoos - blue clouds and lotus blossoms...and much to Jiraiya's dismay, snakes._

_'Snakes,' Jiraiya thought. 'Why did it have to be snakes?'_

_The woman had sensed Jiraiya's presence. "Are you lost?" she asked. "This is the womens' bath."_

_Quickly getting over his gaffe, Jiraiya responded. "Sorry," he said, playing the fool. "I seem to have lost my way, and..." Jiraiya stopped in mid-speech as she looked at the woman's body art. Was his mind playing tricks on him, or was the snake tattoos on her back...moving?_

_No, he was not going crazy. The snake tattoos **are **moving. _

_The woman stood up and turned around. Jiraiya saw that she was gorgeous; green eyes, full lips. Were it not for the fact that his life was in danger from the snake tattoos, which had now removed themselves from her body and taken a more lifelike form, he would have jumped on the woman._

_But Jiraiya didn't. Realization crept across his face as he recognized her from several weeks earlier from when she had defeated both Orochimaru and his lackey near the Wind-Fire border._

_"It's not very nice to try and peep in on women, you know," she said as she outstretched her hand, her snakes coiled, ready to strike, fangs dripping with venom. "It would be a shame if I took the one thing that you treasure the most...and my snakes' venom is so potent that it can make your little boys impotent."_

_The threat of being rendered infertile had the proper effect on Jiraiya. He turned and ran for his life._

_Once the perverted Sannin was gone, the snakes reverted back to their tattoo-like forms and settled back onto the woman's body. The woman herself, began to laugh her ass off, relishing in the fact that she had scared the crap out of her Emperor's former godson._

[End Flashback]

Benisato's backstory earned Jiraiya a death glare from Sakura and Koharu. Asuma and Kakashi shook their heads. After the Konohagakure envoy introduced themselves, Danzou was looking at the woman with interest. "That is a very interesting technique you have," he commented.

"As it should," Benisato replied, raising her left hand, allowing the snake tattoo on her arm and forearm to come to life, the dark snake coiled around her arm, flicking its forked tongue out, and hissing at Jiraiya. "The Minazuki are descended from Yamata no Orochi, or so the story goes. You can say that the Minazuki and the snake are intertwined." The snake returned to its normal position and changed back into a tattoo.

"About the tour of the city..." Asuma prodded.

"Of course," Benisato replied. "Since we are closest to the hospital, we will start there. The Empress will not be there, as she will be with her husband in a series of meetings with the Council. However, Major Yamada, the Lady's second-in-command and Director Uzumaki will be present."

As expected Benisato noted the reactions of the Konoha envoy when she said 'Uzumaki.' Jiraiya's mood darkened, as did Asuma and Kakashi. Sakura looked angry, as did Kiba. Sasuke looked smug. Sai looked...well, like Sai. Danzou's frown deepened. Koharu and Honmura held their tongues in check, lest they said the wrong thing and get ejected from the country, as their guide was the commander of the Emperor and Empress Consort's bodyguards.

"Did you say...Uzumaki?" Sakura repeated.

"Yes," Benisato confirmed. "Director Karin Uzumaki. She was an understudy of the Empress Consort alongside Matsuri of Suna."

That shot Jiraiya and the others down. "Oh."

"Uzumaki, you say?" Danzou repeated. "I thought the Uzumaki clan were wiped out in the last war back in the East."

"Oh, far from it," Benisato replied. "The Uzumaki is one of the Great Imperial Clans of the West. Its clan patriarch is Takuma Uzumaki."

At that name, Jiraiya and Danzou visibly paled, as did Asuma Sarutobi. Takuma Uzumaki was the younger brother of Kushina Uzumaki, which made her Minato's brother-in-law...and more importantly, Naruto's uncle. He was known as the 'Maelstrom of Whirlpool' for his skills in fuuinjutsu and ninjitsu...as well as his fierce temper.

As Benisato led Jiraiya and the others to the hospital, the wheels in Jiraiya's head were turning. Kushina had told him once she was safe in Konoha that the Uzumaki had been decimated, that only a scant few remained following Uzushiogakure's destruction. But Kushina had been more wily that Jiraiya had given her credit for.

'So, Kushina...,' Jiraiya thought. 'You must have known that Whirlpool was going to fall and obviously you did not trust Konoha. But you were married to Minato, so your hands were tied. So you had Takuma and the surviving Uzumaki and Whirlpool shinobi flee the country. Never would have suspected that they would relocate here. Well played, Kushina. Well played indeed.'

What Jiraiya **did not** know was that the bodies of the Uzushiogakure shinobi that littered the ruined village were instead those of Kumo and Iwa shinobi dressed in Uzu's uniforms. Kushina had ordered her brother - the Yondaime Uzukage - to relocate the entire village to its fallback spot, located in the West. Out of sight, out of mind.

But a second thought began to creep into Jiraiya's mind. If Naruto fled to the West and found out that he had family here...and if they found out from him about Konoha's betrayal...

He pushed that thought out of his mind as Benisato led him and the others to the hospital.

* * *

The Imperial Hospital of Kimon was bigger than that of the one in Konoha. Located in a wooded section of Kimon, the hospital consisted of two buildings: the main hospital, which was a five-story building, and the smaller, three-story building which housed the hospital's intensive care unit for its more serious cases.

Karin Uzumaki, the director of the hospital, and Kokoro Yamada, the Empress Consort's No.2 in the medic program, had given the Konoha envoy a tour of the hospital. Aside from medic-ninjas who worked with the shinobi, the samurai had combat medics. The medics-in-training got the basics of medic training from The Academy, which consists of human anatomy, chakra control and studying medical texts. Upon graduation, the medics were given a eight-month training course in their respective fields.

As Sakura and the others saw, the medic-nins were proficient in techniques such as the Chakra Scapel and the Mystic Palm Jutsu, but they were also well-versed in acupuncture and shiatsu, finger and palm pressure, stretches and other massaging techniques. The combat medics, who did not use chakra, relied on the latter. What surprised Sakura and the others were that someone of them had incorporated their various elemental releases into the medical ninjitsu. The medics - shinobi and samurai - were also highly skilled in herbology, the theory of traditional herbal therapy, something that has not been seen in the East. As the Western Empire was home to many types of medicinal herbs, such herbs in the East were very rare.

When Sakura questioned as to how effective the Imperial combat medics were, Karin and Kouda had taken them to an observation room, where they watched an operation in progress. The patient was a prominent merchant working for the Pekara Merchant House, who was being operated on for a ruptured appendix, while Karin explained the procedure. First, they used shiatsu to dull the pain from his appendix. Then they used it to knock him out cold. Working quickly, they opened him up, removed the ruptured appendix and stitched him closed. The merchant would be in bed for two weeks following the operation, but would make a full recovery. The operation took less than thirty minutes. The combat medics were professional and precise.

Despite the fact that the Imperial Medic Corps was far more advanced than Konoha's own program, Sakura Haruno was highly impressed, as was Danzou and the two elders. With the tour of the hospital over, Benisato had taken back her charges. Danzou then suggested that they go and check out the school for the shinobi and samurai in training.

* * *

In the Unified West, the training school for the rising shinobi and samurai had no official name. It was simply known as 'The Academy.' The largest ones were in the major cities in the West – Kimon, Kurata Port, Shinzoku, South Ichiyama and Tears' Point. Located in the Western part of Kimon, The Academy was easily twice the size of the shinobi academy in Konoha, a compound onto itself, complete with dorms for orphaned children who were being trained as samurai and shinobi.

When Naruto and Hinata had ascended to the position of Emperor and Empress Consort, they realized that a national system of education for the next generation of samurai and shinobi was needed. The second thing that Naruto and Hinata had done after establishing the Elite Guard, was to organize a system of training schools for the shinobi and samurai. Unlike the shinobi academy in Konoha, which by their time, had been watered down - and in most cases, lacked the necessary funding as the Civilian Council had stole a sizable portion of the academy's funding - the Emperor and Empress Consort, with the full backing of the Imperial Council made sure that The Academy was a top-notch school, the faculty being only Jounin and Seiseibushi veterans who had fought in the Unification Wars.

The Academy had two headmasters, one samurai, the other a shinobi. The shinobi headmistress was Azumi Kato, a Jounin-level shinobi, while the samurai headmaster was a Seiseibushi named Ryuhaku Kojima. The pair had already been notified of the visit and was asked by Naruto and Hinata to give them a tour of the facility. The Academy's students were taught not only the basics, such as geography, reading, writing, arithmetic and science, but also taught basic hand-to-hand combat for both shinobi and samurai, as Jiraiya and the three elders found out not only did the shinobi and samurai in training attended the same classes, but that the samurai can also use chakra to reinforce their weapons to make them even more stronger.

As the students entered in their final two years in The Academy, they began to take specialized classes in regards to their fields. For those who showed interest in pursuing a medical career, they would begin taking classes in basic and advanced Medicine. Upon graduation, aside from being assigned to their cells, the rising medic nins and combat medics would spend two days out of the week at the Hospital. For those who specialized in tracking and spying, they had Sensor class for the shinobi, and Recon class for the samurai. Physical Education was also top priority, as Jiraiya and the others saw various classes in chakra control, physical strength training and endurance training.

As Headmaster Kojima and Headmistress Kato said, "The training is brutal, yes, but it makes them tough."

And the assignments...

Simply put, an S-rank mission to Konoha is like a C-rank to the Imperial shinobi and samurai. Jiraiya and Danzou wanted to see more, but Benisato refused, citing 'national security' issues. In short, The Academy's training methods were far superior to those of Konoha's own, as much as the elders and Jiraiya hated to admit, as the Empire's methods cranked out battle-worthy shinobi and samurai in half the time Konoha could. Even worse, a mid-level Imperial shinobi and samurai could easily thrash five of Konoha's jounin.

"So the young shinobi and samurai in training take classes together?" Koharu asked as they were leaving The Academy.

"Yes," Benisato replied. "As the Imperial Defense Forces are both shinobi and samurai, they train together and fight together. The Emperor and Empress believe that a warrior's strength - whether they are a shinobi or a samurai - comes from the warrior who is fighting by his side. Something that Sonshi has taught them both. 'Show respect and honor to those who fight by your side, and it will be returned a hundred fold.'"

"Sonshi?" Danzou repeated. He had heard the name before when he was younger.

"He is the Minister of Defense, and the only samurai to ever reach the rank of Kodenbushi - the Legendary Samurai," Benisato explained. "Similar to that of Konoha's Legendary Sannin."

This, Jiraiya knew, as he, Tsunade and Orochimaru had faced the wily samurai in a three-on-one battle and lost shortly after their confrontation with Hanzou the Salamander. On top of that, Sonshi had also defeated Hiruzen Sarutobi, a man known to Konoha as 'The Professor' and the 'God of Shinobi' and fought General Mifune to a draw.

"The samurai have a ranking system which is similar to the shinobi," the Snake Queen continued. "Aonisaibushi is the equivalent of Genin. Chukanbushi is the equivalent of Chuunin. And Seiseibushi is the equivalent of Jounin. Only a Seiseibushi can take on apprentices, or even a cell of Aonisaibushi."

At that moment, Sasuke decided to speak. "Mm...a shinobi will always be stronger than a samurai."

Benisato stopped and turned around. "Know this," she replied curtly. "I've fought with the samurai. They are just as tough as battle-hardened Jounin. In some cases, a samurai can be better suited for a mission rather than a shinobi, and vice versa. The Emperor himself is trained in both the ways of the Shinobi and the Samurai, a fact that you yourself can attest to that painfully."

Sasuke growled. Benisato had him there. For all his talk about being an elite, the Emperor was clearly stronger than him. Seeing the Uchiha was properly humbled for the time being, Benisato continued with the tour.

"Since today is Friday, you guys are in for a treat," Benisato said. "Even though we are at peace, the Emperor and Empress Consort wants our forces to be razor-sharp. Every Friday, we hold local tournaments here in Kimon and in other parts of the Empire. We're on our way to the Proving Grounds now to have a look."

"You guys hold local tournaments?" Kiba asked, now interested.

Benisato nodded. "Yes. It provides free entertainment for the civilians, and it also promotes healthy rivalries between samurai and shinobi. There's also the Imperial Kumite which is held in South Ichiyama every first week in July. Only the best of the best compete in the Imperial Kumite."

'Interesting,' Sasuke thought as he and the others followed Benisato.

* * *

The Proving Grounds were Kimon's answer to Konoha's Training Grounds used by their shinobi to hone in their skills. Located on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, the Proving Grounds was three times the size of Training Ground No.44, the Forest of Death. The Proving Grounds was split into four sections: Ground No.1 was the Enlightenment Grounds, in which samurai and shinobi meditated in peace with the help of the shinobi monks who maintained the grounds. Ground No.2 was the Weapons Grounds, where shinobi and samurai spar using their various weapons. Ground No.3 was the Jutsu Grounds, where the Shinobi practiced their techniques.

Of course, Sasuke tried to use the Sharingan to steal the jutsu, but found that upon activating his dojutsu, it would automatically cut off. He tried again, but with the same results. Kakashi and unknown to both the last Uchiha and Hatake, Danzou tried to do the same with his own hidden Sharingan, but with the same results as did the Uchiha and his former sensei.

Last, was Ground No.3, which was simply known as The Arena. Located in the heart of the Proving Grounds, The Arena was one large area which was clear of trees. The Arena was closed off on three sides, with a series of stands on the three sides. A lodge which served as a medical station was located beside the stands on the left-hand side. To the Konoha group, it reminded them of the Chuunin Exams Stadium in a way.

A massive letdai - a circular training platform - was placed in the middle of The Arena. An inscription was written around the letdai's edge which read 'THE BRAVE DO NOT FEAR THE GRAVE.' As the stands were already full of spectators and competitors, Benisato and the Konoha group simply stood to the side and watched as the matches commenced.

As the tournament continued, Asuma and Kakashi had to admit that the Western shinobi and samurai were incredibly tough, even tougher than their counterparts in Kumo and Iwa. Sasuke snorted as he dismissed the Western shinobi and samurai as weak and unworthy of the power they wielded. Koharu and Honmura were literally drooling, salivating as the gears in their heads had went into overdrive as they continued to watch the tournaments. It was true that the West had the muscle, but Konoha, in their eyes, had the political advantage. Even though his face said otherwise, Danzou was making plans. Plans which involve using the Empire's shinobi as fresh recruits for his ROOT ANBU.

But two of the combatants had caught Jiraiya and the others' attention once they stepped onto the letdai.

Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga.

Benisato watched as Takeshi Chiba stepped onto the letdai. "Hmm...interesting. A two-on-one match," she mused.

Jiraiya turned to Benisato. "Huh?"

The Snake Queen gestured to Takeshi, who had with a gesture of his hand, silently ordered both the Hyuuga prodigy and the Goken expert to step back, allowing him to stand in between the two former Konoha shinobi. "Takeshi Chiba, the Elite Guard's resident Taijutsu master," she explained. "Very dangerous. Very tough. Not as tough as me, though."

"So are those two," Jiraiya replied as the fight commenced. "I'm sure you know that they were once Konoha shinobi until recently."

"Word gets around," Benisato replied as she spied Sonshi, Hiashi Hyuuga, Kouda Chiba and Takuma Uzumaki seated together, talking. "In fact, it's the big talk around the Empire. The Emperor has granted the four clan heads and the Jounin that had came with them political asylum."

"Any idea as to why the Emperor would do such a thing?" Sakura asked. "Granting them asylum and risking the ire of the Leaf?"

Jiraiya shot Sakura a glance which told her to shut up. He then noticed Hiashi with the other members of the council watching the fight. 'It's confirmed that the Emperor and Empress Consort granted Hiashi and the others asylum. So if they are here, could he be here as well?' he thought as he continued to watch the fight between the two former Konoha shinobi and Takeshi Chiba.

Despite the combined effort of Neji and Rock Lee, they were no match for Takeshi, as he brought the both of them down.

* * *

Red Lotus Inn - Jiraiya's Room.

Following the tournament, Benisato had taken the Konoha group back to the Red Lotus and left for her own home. Jiraiya had ordered everyone to his room for a quick meeting in regards as to what they had seen that day.

Jiraiya, however, was disappointed at the fact that he could not meet Murasaki Shibuku.

"I can honestly say that I am very impressed with the Western shinobi and samurai," Asuma said, remembering the match between Gai's former pupils and Takeshi Chiba. "Benisato's teammate, the Taijutsu expert...he held his own against Neji and Rock Lee. That guy would've been at home with the Fire Lord's Guardian Ninja."

"Their training methods for their shinobi and samurai are very impressive," Shino said. "The most logical conclusion is that they combine classroom education and field exercises in order to produce battle-worthy shinobi."

"The Imperial Medic Corps' methods as to how they train their medic-nins..." Sakura began as she was compiling a series of reports that was to be given to Tsunade once she returned to Konoha. "Lady Tsunade may be one of the best medic-nins in the history of the Elemental Nations, but not even she could come up with the things I've seen. Whoever the Empress is...as much as I hate to say it, she could surpass Tsunade in medical knowledge."

Danzou remained silent, but Koharu and Honmura were trading notes. Danzou was troubled. The Uzumaki Clan was still alive. Takuma Uzumaki was still alive. His train of thought was interrupted when he overhead Sasuke made his opinion known to his former sensei, and to everyone in the room.

"I'm not impressed, Hatake. These...Westerners are beneath the Leaf. They are beneath me, an Elite. If given the chance, I would show them all the might of the Uchiha."

"Sasuke, remember what I taught you and Sakura," Kakashi replied. "You must look underneath the hidden meanings. You may be good, given that you trained under myself and Danzou, but not even you could face down one of the Empire's warriors. We both fought the Emperor himself and lost."

"The Emperor got lucky," Sasuke shot back. "Without that title to back him up, he is nothing compared to me."

Now Asuma was getting tired of Sasuke's shit. "Sasuke. Shut up."

Sasuke's head snapped to the Sarutobi clan head. "What did you say, Sarutobi?"

"I told you to shut up," Asuma snapped, rising to his feet, hands itching to reach for his trench knives. "Ever since the Emperor has beaten you in combat, you could not let that go. You could not accept the fact that there is someone out there who is stronger than you."

Sasuke stood up, his eyes morphing into the Magenkyou. "Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?!" he snarled, hand reaching for his chokuto.

"Someone who has been nothing but trouble for Konoha," Asuma shot back. "At least that demon brat of a teammate was more loyal than you ever were. Even though they will not tell you, since they worship the ground you walk on, but I will. All of this is not Uzumaki's fault, but yours! You tried to run to Orochimaru, but the Kyuubi brat stopped you, despite the fact that you shoved a Chidori into his chest! It was because of him we had trade and military alliances and it was because of you that we lost them all! And it's because of you that four of our strongest clans and two hundred Jounin defected from the Leaf! Because of you, our place as the strongest in the Elemental Nations is being threatened by Suna!"

"The only reason that Dobe won is because he had the power of the Nine-Tails backing him up, Sarutobi. Remember that," Sasuke reminded him.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black, since you had the power of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal, and that was not even enough for you to kill him, not to mention that my father, the Sannin, and the council had purposely stunted his growth, so who is stronger? The dead last, or the elite?" Before leaving the room, Asuma left with a parting shot. "We should have kept the Kyuubi brat and banished you instead." He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Sasuke was seething as the Magenkyou began to spin. "That little..."

"Sasuke. Stand down," Danzou ordered. "Sarutobi does have a point on the matter regarding the Emperor. The Rinnegan is indeed stronger than the Sharingan, and the fact that the Emperor did not use it in the fight shows that he is indeed a powerful shinobi. This is a very dangerous game, Sasuke. Konoha's future depends on what happens tomorrow."

Jiraiya stood up. "I'll calm Asuma down. Everyone else go and get some sleep. We got a big day tomorrow."

The following morning, Jiraiya and the Konoha group were having breakfast inside the Red Lotus' restaurant. The dining area was for the most case, deserted, as it was a Saturday morning. The tension between Sasuke Uchiha and Asuma Sarutobi was still thick from the previous night, which is why both men sat on opposite sides of the table. Sasuke had not remembered how Asuma had told him that his dead last of a former teammate was worth more than him, and vowed to pay the Sarutobi clan head back for that insult.

'Shame that his little bastard of a nephew and his cell had died,' Sasuke thought darkly. 'I would have loved to place them under a genjutsu.'

The previous night, Sasuke had written off the Imperial forces as weak, and unworthy to be in his presence. But it was Koharu and Honmura who had made Sasuke think otherwise. As always, like they had done when he was a child, they stroked his ego, telling him that through this alliance, he would learn the Empire's secrets, that through the Empire, he would become even more powerful. Powerful enough to even kill Itachi and to prove to his missing teammate that he was indeed the strongest once and for all.

Sasuke liked that idea. Once he killed Itachi, not only would he beat Naruto's head into powder, but he would also crush the Emperor under his might.

Four people then entered the restaurant. The locals who were present knew who they were, and were smart enough to keep out of their way. These four highly-trained shinobi and samurai were one of the Empire's elite special forces unit, a quartet of S-ranked warriors whose bloodlines allowed them to wield the power of the elements of wind, earth, fire and lightning. This same group of fighters who had easily crushed the Akatsuki (but did not kill any of them). Only the Emperor and Empress matched them in power and skill.

They were known by several names. The Shitenno. The Four Heavenly Kings. The Four Devas.

They walked over to the table where Jiraiya and the others sat. Kiba saw them first and alerted Jiraiya and the others to their presence.

The first member was a mirror image of the Pekara merchant/Imperial spy Sachiko Asahina. In truth, she was her identical twin sister, the eldest by five minutes, save that while Sachiko had long hair, hers was cut short. Like her twin sister, she wielded the power of the flames, but while Sachiko's flames were red, hers were black. She was dressed in the standard Jounin uniform of the Imperial Defense Force - the black shozoku uniform (similar to what Hinata usually wears while working with the medics inside the hospital) over a red jounin flak vest. A ninjato was strapped to small of her back. Her hitai-ate was wrapped around her neck. Her name was Sadako Asahina, the Mistress of the Dark Flames.

The second member was also female. Unlike the other three, who were traditional shinobi, she was the product of a union between a kunoichi and a ronin samurai, which meant she was trained in both the ways of the shinobi and samurai, meaning that she was part of the samurai-ninja warrior class who embraced both styles. Hailing from the town of Shinokou, she was a member of an ancient warrior cult who worshiped the Deity Asura (similar to the Jashin cult Hidan is a part of, just not as bloodthirsty). She wore no flak vest with her clothing, which consisted of a black bustier, black pants and boots (think Princess Kitana from the movies). Dual tantos were stuck inside her boots. Her dark hair fell behind her back. Her forehead protector was wrapped around her left leg. She looked exotic, the clear gray eyes looking down on the Konoha group with disdain. She was the Protector of the Divine Winds, Kaede Kuriyama.

The third member was a bald and bearded mountain of a man, standing seven feet tall, literally a walking mountain of muscle. His armor reminded Jiraiya of Han's Steam Armor in appearance, only difference was that there was no steam. Aside from the armor, he had on a pair of black pants, but went barefoot. He was the oldest of the group, tanned, and loved a good fight. Strapped to his back was a giant broadsword the size of Zabuza's Head Chopping Cleaver. Like A, he wore his hitai-ate around his bicep. He was Kintaro Kagami, the Strongman of the Scorched Earth.

The final member of the group was the leader. For a split second, given the blond hair and the blue eyes, Jiraiya and the others thought that he was looking at Naruto. But this guy was anything but. He was wearing armor which reminded both Sakura and Sasuke of Doto Kazahana's prototype Chakra Armor, but it was red with golden trim rather than Doto's black with blue trim. It wasn't chakra armor, but rather armor belonging to his clan. Over the armor, he had on a black haori. Black pants and sandals completed the outfit. His hitai-ate was stitched onto his haori. He was Rasu, the Shogun of the Violent Lightning.

"You know, you guys stick out like a sore thumb," Rasu began. "Then again, I'm not surprised. Eastern shinobi with a death wish. Welcome to the West, tourists."

Danzou frowned. "We are not tourists," he rebuked.

"Oh, come on," Rasu replied. "Here you are, in our home, taking in the sights, seeing what the Western Empire have to offer. Face it. You guys are tourists."

Sasuke jumped to his feet, activating his Sharingan. "Now look here, you..."

He backed away as Rasu raised one hand, index and middle finger extended. "Ah-ah-ah," Rasu childed as golden lightning danced on his finger. "You really should rein in your temper, Uchiha. Otherwise, I would have to explain why I had to fry your ass to my boss."

"Sasuke, don't," Jiraiya warned. "I've heard of these four. These four are the Four Devas." He looked at Rasu. "This is the one who had defeated Itachi and his partner."

"The old man speaks the truth," Rasu confirmed. "We tagged along with The Chief and his wife on an inspection tour to the East. The Emperor gave us his blessings to test our skills against the Akatsuki...so long as we didn't kill any of them." He looked at Sasuke. "So...you're Itachi's kid brother. I've seen better. Then again, I've seen worse as well."

"How dare you speak to me like that, you commoner!" Sasuke snarled.

"Keep running your mouth, runt, and I'll do to you what I did to your brother," Rasu threatened. Upon hearing Sadako clear her throat, Rasu dispersed the lightning. "Oh. Right. You guys are to come with us. The Emperor and Empress Consort would like to have a word with you guys. We're here just to make sure that everything remains nice and civil."

"And keep your dog under control," Sadako warned Kiba. "Otherwise, I will be forced to put him down."

* * *

Hall of Sovereigns – Council Chambers.

Dressed in all black, the kage-style hat over his head, eyes closed in order to conceal his now-active Rinnegan, Naruto sat in his chair, trying to calm the emotions that were currently going through his mind. As Emperor, Naruto had the right to refuse any envoy that came before him, but he decided to see how far Konoha had come during his absence. Hinata was also present, as was Kurama. Hiashi was absent. Hinata's bangs had covered her eyes, effectively hiding them from view. The entire council was present as well.

That and whether or not he could keep his temper in check and not kill his former teammates, sensei and godfather for their betrayal the moment they entered the room. Naruto was not taking any chances, not against the Sharingan. He knew that the Rinnegan had the power to repel the Sharingan's genjutsu, but his council did not share that same ability. Which is why for the past hour, he had placed special anti-genjutsu seals on the council and activated them minutes before the Konoha group had arrived. The door opened and Naruto opened his eyes, just as the Four Devas entered the council chambers, followed by Jiraiya, Asuma Sarutobi, the three elders, and the remnants of Cells Seven and Eight.

The Four Devas stepped to the side, allowing the Konoha group to face the Emperor and Empress Consort. Jiraiya and the three elders were surprised to see A seated on the council as one of the Emperor's advisers, as they had read the reports that A, his brother and several of their supporters were killed when A was overthrown.

To Naruto, Jiraiya looked the same – a backstabbing, super pervert. Kakashi was all business, as the little orange book he usually read was not in sight. Sakura was dressed as a medic-nin, complete with Jounin vest. Sasuke, however, was sizing him up, Sharingan active, looking as arrogant as ever. Danzou was doing the same. Koharu and Honmura looked on with growing anticipation, as if they were hoping for Naruto to accept their terms for an alliance.

Akamaru was growling at Bijomaru, the wolf-dog growling back, until Kiba shushed him. Looking at Hinata, he could not shake the fact that the Empress was someone familiar...someone he knew very well. That and for some strange reason, the redheaded woman seated next to the former Raikage smelled strongly of foxes.

Naruto focused on Danzou. Aside from Koharu and Honmura, the warhawk had been in his side for the longest ever since his genin days. 'Hmm...a hidden Sharingan behind those bandages...and he's attempting to use it to try and sway the council. Good thing those anti-genjutsu seals I've designed are working.'

And indeed they were working, otherwise Naruto would have sensed the Sharingan's influence on the council members.

'What's this?' Naruto thought as he continued to glare at Danzou. 'The warhawk is not as crippled as he presents himself. A false arm underneath his robes with multiple Sharingans grafted...combined with the Mokouton of the Senju clan. I wonder how the old hag and that idiot former teammate of mine would take it if I told them that the warhawk ripped off their respective clan's bloodlines?'

Jiraiya, Koharu, Honmura and Danzou stood side by side and bowed, the other Konoha shinobi following suit. All except Sasuke, who smirked at the Imperial Council at his blatant show of disrespect...until Kakashi looked up, grabbed his former student by the back of the neck and forced him to bow as well.

Jiraiya began to speak, acting as de facto negotiator. "Lord Emperor. May your reign be a long and prosperous once. I am..."

"...Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin," Naruto began, using his chakra to mask his voice, just as he had done with Kabuto. "One of three shinobi christened with the title by former Amegakure warlord Hanzou the Salamander. Former teammates include Tsunade Senju and Orochimaru. Trained by Hiruzen Sarutobi, deceased Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure. Author of Icha Icha, and self-proclaimed 'super-pervert.'"

Jiraiya beamed. "My reputation proceeds me. I am honored."

"No, I just like to be informed of the major players in the East," Naruto replied, causing Jiraiya's expression to fall. "The movers and shakers, if you will. Information is a valuable commodity, wouldn't you agree, old man?"

"I take it that the Hyuuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho notified you about myself and of Konoha?" Jiraiya asked. "We confirmed Hiashi Hyuuga and his nephew, which means you were the one behind the offer for asylum."

"They verified what we already know," Naruto replied. "Like the fact that the shinobi accompanying you, of which I can identify from my previous...encounters with the Leaf are Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha. The one with the giant dog is Kiba Inuzuka, son of Tsume Inuzuka. The silent one with the glasses is Shino Aburame, and the pale-skinned one is Sai." He looked at the elders. "But I do not know these three. Enlighten me."

"We are the elders of Konohagakure no Sato," Danzou began. "I am Danzou Shimura."

Honmura continued the introduction. "I am Honmura Mitokado."

"And I am Koharu Utatane," Koharu finished.

"We are here on behalf the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju, the people of Konohagakure no Sato and the Lord of Fire Country," Jiraiya continued. "We have come here in good faith to speak to both you, Lord Emperor and Lady Empress."

"Go on," Hinata said, her chakra masking her voice.

"Both Konoha and Fire Country interest in the Unified West, as well as the both of you," Jiraiya began. "From what the Pekara Merchants have told us, you two were only teenagers when you decided to unify the lands. A respectable feat."

It was at that time, Sasuke decided to speak. "Hn. Two years to unify the lands. Had it been me, I would have done it in less time, seeing as how I am an Uchiha. An elite."

'Looks like his ego is still as big as Tears' Point,' Naruto thought as he cocked one eyebrow. The guards present looked amused. Jiraiya looked like he wanted to strangle the Uchiha, if Asuma did not beat him to it first.

"Claiming such a title without being capable of backing it up is very dangerous in these parts, Uchiha," Naruto countered, his eyes staring down the last Uchiha from his seat. "They don't last long here in the West. Here, we prove ourselves with actions, not words. Here, respect is not given because of what clan you're from or what bloodline you wield. It is earned. Oh, and would you deactivate your Sharingan? I would hate to have you arrested for crimes against the Unified West, such as the attempted murder of the Emperor by genjutsu."

Sasuke began to retort, but Kakashi's hand on his shoulder restrained him, as well as a glare from Jiraiya. Sasuke grunted before deactivating the Sharingan.

"You should try teaching the Uchiha some tact," Naruto noted dryly.

"I apologize for my student," Kakashi said.

"As I was saying," Jiraiya continued, "Major Minazuki was nice enough to give us a tour of the capital. And I can say on behalf of the envoy and myself, we are very impressed with the Empire's methods. There is so much that the Unified West and the Leaf can share, provide that we can sign a political and military alliance between your Empire and Konohagakure no Sato. There is so much that we can learn from one another. You could learn from the best in politics and we can trade techniques and the like. And that you would be gaining quite a valuable ally in the Leaf."

Naruto leaned back in his seat, one finger tapping the armrest of his throne, as if he was thinking about agreeing to the proposed alliance. "No."

"No?" Jiraiya repeated.

"No," Naruto repeated. "Being allied to the Leaf is not in the best interest of the Unified West. Not after what I had discovered through the Suna representatives."

"What Gaara and the Sand siblings told you is false," Kakashi explained. "Konoha is the strongest of the Shinobi villages. The Will of Fire is strong with the people. We hold many powerful shinobi within our ranks."

"So...the fact that Konohagakure rewards potential traitors and damn their potential heroes was false?" Naruto asked, watching as Kakashi and Jiraiya stiffen slightly. "That Konoha had lost every single alliance because they decided to throw in their lot with a genin who willingly defected from Konoha for the promise of power and banish a loyal shinobi for doing his job?"

"How do you know that?" Sakura demanded.

Naruto smiled. "Jiraiya's information network is not the only spy network in town. I have eyes and ears in the West as well. Spring Country also verified your actions, as did Mist. But most of what I know about Konoha and its shinobi came from one person from within my ranks. I believe you know him, as he was your former godson, Jiraiya, as well as being the former teammate for Cell Seven. Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto watched as Jiraiya shifted uncontrollably. Kakashi frowned, as did the three elders.

Sasuke looked smug. "So the dobe is still alive? Figures that you would have someone as weak as him fighting for you."

"Weak? Hardly," the Emperor replied mildly. "He is a hero in the West."

"Be careful who you insult, little man," Takuma Uzumaki warned. "The Uzumaki take care of their own." His gaze turned ice cold as he leveled it upon Jiraiya. "And you...you and the Godaime betrayed my nephew, your godson. Tsunade was his great-aunt, and chose the Leaf over blood. We believe in loyalty to one's village, but family is also important."

"Takuma, calm down," Naruto ordered. Takuma complied.

"Do you know that he is the Kyuubi reborn?" Kakashi butted in. "Did you know that he is wanted in the Bingo Book for murdering my sensei and his wife, not to mention that he is charged with treason for harming a clan heir?"

"Funny. I thought Uzumaki was a clan heir," Naruto replied. "His father was your village hero and his mother was the former princess of Whirlpool. As to the charges of treason and harming a clan heir, those charges are false, as he was banished, which means you can't charge him with treason. Second, your precious Uchiha had willingly ran off to join Orochimaru. In any case, Uzumaki was following orders."

"That demon brat is no heir," Kakashi snapped. "He is just a fox in human skin."

No one notice the vein pulsing on Kurama's head. Or the fact that her hand was balling into a fist.

"It's obvious that despite being the student of the Yellow Flash, you know jack shit about fuuinjutsu," Naruto continued. "The boy is a jinchuuriki – the jailer and warden, not the prisoner itself. And under the Unified West, he is a powerful warrior, admired and respected by friend and foe alike." He pointed to Kakashi. "'Those who abandon the mission are trash. But those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash.' Your words, according to Uzumaki. For favoring a traitor and not giving Uzumaki the proper tutelage...you, Kakashi Hatake, are lower than trash. In my eyes, you and Sasuke Uchiha are scum."

"You dare call me scum?" Sasuke snarled, activating his Sharingan. "You and your whore are nothing compared to me. You both hide behind your precious titles. I am an Elite among Elite..."

That was all that Sasuke could get out before the Emperor and Empress Consort vanished. A split-second later, the Uchiha prince felt the unmistakable touch of cold steel against his neck along with the second blade resting up against his crotch, followed by a massive dose of killer intent so potent that it even froze Jiraiya, and the others in place. Only the council, the guards present and Kurama were unaffected.

'Impossible!' Jiraiya thought as he fell to his knees. 'What...what power! They're both faster than Minato!'

"You call yourself an Elite, and yet, your Sharingan could not track our movements," Naruto deadpanned, O-katana in hand, and against Sasuke's neck. "I had hoped that our last encounter left you humbled. But now I see that it has done nothing."

"You...you have any idea who you are dealing with?!" Sasuke managed to spit out.

"Do you?" the Empress retorted, her own kukri against the Uchiha's balls. "Look at where my husband and I are. And look at you. For all your talk of being an Elite, you are nothing but a second-rate ninja hiding behind your family name and dojutsu."

"Know this, Sasuke Uchiha..." Naruto continued. "I can kill you right now. My wife can kill you right now. You are nothing but an insect that can be crushed under my heel. That, and you are really trying my patience. Keep your tongue in check...or I will remove it from your mouth."

"And I will remove what makes you a man," Hinata finished.

That caused Kiba, Kakashi, Asuma, Shino, and even the male elders to wince at Hinata's meaning. The threat properly delivered, the Emperor and Empress of the Western Empire returned to their chairs, lifting the killer intent as they did so.

"Regardless of what you may think," Jiraiya said, "you have confirmed that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki is here in the Unified West. He is a missing-ninja and a S-class threat to both Konoha and to Fire Country. With all due respect, I ask that you turn him over to us so that he can be taken back to the Leaf to face our justice."

"There is also the matter of two of the clan heiresses which had abandoned Konoha and had made their way here along with their families," Kakashi continued. "Ino Yamanaka and Hanabi Hyuuga. As Sasuke is under the Konohagakure Clan Restoration Act, we demand on behalf of the Konohagakure High Council that they both be turned over to us so that they could be returned and married to Sasuke Uchiha with all haste. We also request that you hand over Tenten and Anko Mitarashi as well, for they both fall under the C.R.A."

"In regards to surrendering Uzumaki to you, the answer is no," Naruto replied, leaking out killer intent. "And in regards to Yamanaka and the Hyuuga, not to mention the other two, again, the answer is no, as I have granted them and their families political asylum, as well as citizenship within the Unified West. You, nor Konoha are in no position to make demands of myself and of my Empire."

Jiraiya puffed out his chest. "You will regret this, Lord Emperor. You will not like Konoha as your enemy."

"In any case, I seriously would not want you nor Konoha as allies either," the Emperor replied. "For your insolence, you will be sent back on the first ship back to the East. Thank whatever gods you worship that I do not send your bodies back to Konoha in six or seven pieces, along with a declaration of war on your village and on Fire Country." When it looked like Sasuke was going to retort, Naruto added, "Choose your words carefully, Uchiha. For they will be your last."

Kakashi clamped down his hand on Sasuke's mouth. "Sasuke, no. You got us into enough trouble already," he hissed. "Calm down."

"As he is your prized student, you should teach him some manners when in the presence of someone higher up than he is," Naruto replied. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Leave my sight."

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato, two weeks later.

Upon returning to Konoha, Jiraiya had dismissed Asuma Sarutobi, Sasuke Uchiha and Cell Eight, leaving himself, Kakashi, Sakura and the two elders to face both Tsunade and the Fire Lord. Danzou returned to his own compound, ignoring Jiraiya's request to remain with the others.

Inside the Hokage's Office, Tsunade Senju looked over the reports given to her by Sakura, Koharu and Honmura. Also present was the Fire Lord, who had taken quite an interest in Konoha's attempts to get the Unified West in their corner. "So their medical program uses both shinobi and samurai...very interesting."

"It also confirmed what Captain Sarutobi said about their medic-nins," Sakura said. "Their healing methods, as much as I hate to admit, far surpass those of the Leaf. And their combat medics are just as skilled, despite being samurai and not knowing any jutsu."

"Indeed," Tsunade murmured as she scanned through the report. "Acupuncture needles and shiatsu...herbology...most impressive. And to think that the Empress has created such a well-organized program for both shinobi and samurai."

"Their education and training is impressive," the Fire Damiyo said as he read Koharu and Honmura's reports. "The Empire using both shinobi and samurai in his forces. On top of that, they can produce Chuunin and Jounin in less time than we can."

Tsunade set the scroll down. "So what happened? Did the Emperor and his wife agree to an alliance with us?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "They refused to ally with us. On top of that, Sasuke's attitude and mouth did not help matters, either. He insulted both the Emperor and his wife, calling her a whore, and nearly lost his head and his balls."

Tsunade fumed. "That foolish boy! He almost started a war because of his ego!"

"The Emperor and his wife showed plenty of restraint in not killing Sasuke where he stood, let alone castrate him," Kakashi seconded. "And despite the both of them holding back most of their chakra, their power level is for lack of a better word...insane."

"The Uchiha will be reprimanded for this offense," Tsunade said. "He will be placed under house arrest and will not leave Konohagakure until I see fit."

"I second the motion," the Fire Damiyo said. "The Emperor is an unknown. And that makes him even more dangerous. Sasuke Uchiha is becoming uncontrollable, and has been ever since Uzumaki's banishment. He needs to be humbled."

"Lord Damiyo, we must treat the Uchiha with great care," Koharu said in Sasuke's defense. "As he is the last loyal Uchiha of Konoha, we need the Sharingan."

"And yet, the Emperor, from what I found out, has a bloodline similar to that of the Six Paths Sage, which makes the Sharingan obsolete," the Fire Damiyo replied curtly. "I had pardoned him the first time when he tried to defect from Konoha. I will not be as merciful should he try to defect a second time." To Jiraiya and Kakashi, he said, "Continue."

"We have confirmed not only does the Emperor has the Rinnegan, but he did reveal to us one key bit of information regarding Naruto Uzumaki," reported Kakashi.

Tsunade leaned forward in her chair. "Please tell me that the brat is dead."

Jiraiya shook his head. "No. According to the Emperor, Uzumaki is alive. From the look of things, he fought alongside the Emperor in the wars unifying the continent."

"Meaning that the brat could have learned how to control his demon," Danzou surmised, "or that he has learned how to fight more effectively from the Emperor despite our sabotaging his training at the academy and Hatake not teaching him anything other than chakra control." He turned to Tsunade. "We could have avoided this a long time ago had Sarutobi given him to me to train."

"There's more, Tsunade," Jiraiya continued. "The Uzumaki clan is not extinct. I saw Takuma Uzumaki in the West."

"Impossible. The Uzumaki is gone," Tsunade rebuffed. "I saw the reports. The Uzumaki had been wiped out."

"It looks like that Kushina was not entirely honest with us," the Toad Sage replied mildly. "My guess is that she ordered Takuma to evacuate Whirlpool, and to take as many survivors as he can. Even worse, the Uzumaki is one of the main clans in the Empire, which means that the clan has rebuilt and is more powerful than it was back in the last Shinobi War. Hell, he's part of the Emperor's staff as one of his advisers. And he knows what we had done to his nephew, not to mention the fact that you are his great-aunt."

"I can care less what Takuma thinks," Tsunade replied flatly. "Naruto killed the closest thing I had to a daughter. Kushina was his sister. He should hand Naruto over to us so we can finish what Minato had started. Better yet, he should kill the brat himself."

"So what do we do about the Kyuubi brat?" Koharu demanded. "We know that he is there in the West. We should at least try and retrieve him by using the ANBU!"

The Fire Damiyo shook his head. "No. If the Emperor finds out that we were responsible for such an action, given Uzumaki's he could declare war not only on Konoha, but he could wipe out all of Fire Country in retaliation."

"We can't sit here and do nothing!" Koharu pleaded. "If the Kyuubi brat is in the good graces of the Emperor, then he may turn his attention to us next!"

"Only if we provoke him," the Damiyo replied. "That means do not provoke in any shape, form of fashion, anyone from the West that comes here, especially those from the Pekara Merchant House. And Sasuke Uchiha is not to say anything about what has happened in the Unified West, under threat of permanent expulsion from the Shinobi Forces and his Sharingan sealed. Am I clear?"

The assembled ninja nodded, Kakashi disappearing in order to find his student and tell him of the Fire Lord's edict.

* * *

Underneath Konohagakure no Sato...

"Tsunade has reprimanded Sasuke for his actions back in the West," Koharu said as she, Danzou and Honmura walked down the corridors of Danzou's underground complex. Sai remained behind the trio. "As of this moment, the Uchiha is under house arrest and cannot leave the village."

"Tsunade knows that Sasuke falls under my jurisdiction," Danzou replied. "Only I can decide his punishment."

"Unfortunately, she has the backing of the Fire Lord," Honmura said. "Which means that his authority overrides your own."

'The Emperor and his council should have agreed to the alliance,' Danzou thought. 'Kotoamatsukami should have made sure of that. Could it be the power of the Rinnegan? On top of that, the Uzumaki clan lives...'

"The Emperor has refused to join with us," Honmura said. "So now what do we do?"

"There is no way around it," Danzou replied. "If the Empire refuses to join us, then it is a threat to the Leaf. And if the Empire decides to join our enemies...that is a risk that we cannot take. I have been planning for something like this in the event that the Empire refused to come to our side."

"Such as...?" Koharu began.

"A decapitation strike," Danzou explained. "Cut off the head of the snake, and the body dies. The Empire is only held together by the Emperor and his wife. Remove them from the equation, and the Empire will revert back into its warlike state. At the same time, we kidnap some of the Empire's top prospects and bring them back here in order to strengthen the Leaf."

"If you do this," Honmura said, "then eliminate the traitors to the leaf and their heirs. No one betrays Konoha."

"Takuma Uzumaki is also a threat," Koharu said. "He must die as well."

"Fair enough. Sai."

The ink user stepped forward and knelt before the warhawk. "Lord Danzou?"

Danzou pulled out a scroll. After several moments of scribbling, he closed it and handed it to his subordinate. "This is a S-class black-ops mission for the good of the village. You will return to Kimon with two squads of ROOT ANBU. There, two weeks from now, you will eliminate the Emperor, his whore and the Imperial Council. They are your primary targets. Your secondary targets are the four clan heads - the Hyuuga, the Ino-Shika-Cho and their heirs. Last, you are to eliminate Takuma Uzumaki."

Sai nodded. "Understood, Lord Shimura. Your will shall be done."

* * *

Two weeks later, at the Red Lotus Inn...

Midnight in the Imperial Capital. Inside his room at the Red Lotus Inn, Sai was making the final preparations for his mission. It had taken two weeks of covert preparation, but he and the two squads of ROOT ANBU who had came in disguised as tourists from the East were primed and ready to strike at the heart of the Imperial Nation.

Unfortunately for Sai, the innkeeper had recognized Sai from his previous visit with Jiraiya and the Konohagakure envoy, and notified his wife. Minutes later, Fu had delivered word that Sai had returned. The innkeeper began to report a rising number of tourists coming from the Elemental Countries, which had set off an automatic red flag to the Imperial Council. When it became clear that Danzou had sent Sai and a hit squad of ROOT ANBU to assassinate the senior Imperial hierarchy, Naruto quickly reacted.

Which is why as Sai finished making the preparations, one squad of the Demon Brigade led by Haku, while the second squad of Hellcats led by Yugito Nii, quickly and quietly intercepted the would-be assassins, incapacitated them, and had them brought to the Imperial Complex for further questioning. With Sai's hit squad incapacitated, Naruto would deal with the ink user himself.

A gentle knock on Sai's door had interrupted the ink user from his preparations. Curious as to who would be at his door at this time of night, he walked over to the door and opened it...

...and found himself face-to-face with the Emperor of the United West.

"Hello, Sai," Naruto deadpanned.

**WHAM!**

Sai dropped like a sack of potatoes, the end result of Naruto's fist bouncing off his skull. Stepping to the side, Naruto allowed three Hellcats to enter the room. Once Sai was searched and properly restrained, one of the Hellcats began to search Sai's belongings, and came across the mission scroll.

"Chief, I found something," she said, handing the scroll to Naruto, just as Haku and Yugito approached the Emperor.

"All of the ROOT ANBU has been restrained," Yugito reported. "What's that?"

"A hit list," Naruto replied. "And Hinata and myself are on the top of the list." He closed the scroll and turned to Haku. "Haku, go to North Kimon and bring me Hiashi, Hanabi and both generations of the Ino-Shika-Sho. I want them at the Imperial Complex in no less than fifteen minutes. They need to know about this."

Haku nodded and rushed off to obey.

* * *

Imperial Complex, minutes later.

Hiashi was not very happy when he was roused from his sleep. Then again, neither were the Ino-Shika-Cho or their heirs. But Haku said that it was urgent, and that it had something to do with all of them.

Upon reaching the Imperial Complex, the sight that greeted the four clan heads and their children shocked them.

In the courtyard, were twenty bound shinobi. Anyone from Konoha recognized them as part of the ANBU, particularly those from Danzou's private security corps. They were being guarded by Yugito's Hellcats, blades drawn, ready to kill the intruders. Kurama was in her fox form, about the size of a horse, her nine tails waving lazily in the air. She was resting on her haunches, but watching the events rather closely.

Last, was Naruto and Hinata, who was talking with A, Benisato, Takuma and several members of the council. Hinata had noticed that her father and the others had arrived and pulled her husband away from A and the others.

"You came. Good," Naruto said. He gestured to Sai and the bound ROOT ANBU. "Recognize these men? You should, as they belong to Danzou's ROOT ANBU." He pulled out the mission scroll and tossed it to Shikaku. "Sai had this on him."

The lazy Nara head opened the scroll and read it, Hiashi, Inoichi and Chouza all crowded in around Shikaku in order to read it. Hiashi looked up in disbelief. "This is a hitlist," he said, disbelief written on his face.

"Very troublesome," Shikaku said. "It's from the three council elders. The Emperor and his wife top the list, as does Takuma Uzumaki, the Imperial Council...and us."

Ino's eyes widened. "That old bastard tried to kill all of us," she whispered.

"My guess is that the Hokage, Jiraiya and the council does not know about this black-ops. The blood and the motive, right in your hands, Nara," Naruto said. "If they penned it in snake venom, I wouldn't be surprised." To which he turned to Benisato and said, "No offense."

Benisato smiled meanly. "None taken, Chief."

"My guess is neither the perv nor the hag know about this, but I have to be sure before I plan my next move," Naruto said. He turned to Inoichi. "Inoichi...Ino...you're both up."

Inoichi and his daughter both nodded and walked over to Sai, who started to struggle. The seals on his tongue kept him from talking about Konoha, but he was defenseless against the Yamanaka's mind jutsu. Two Hellcats quickly restrained him, leaving him helpless. Father and daughter stood before Sai, and after taking a deep breath, each raised one hand and placed it on Sai's head.

And they saw everything.

_"Tsunade has reprimanded Sasuke for his actions back in the West. As of this moment, the Uchiha is under house arrest and cannot leave the village."_

_"Tsunade knows that Sasuke falls under my jurisdiction. Only I can decide his punishment."_

_"Unfortunately, she has the backing of the Fire Lord. Which means that his authority overrides your own."_

_"The Emperor has refused to join with us. So now what do we do?"_

_"There is no way around it. If the Empire refuses to join us, then it is a threat to the Leaf. And if the Empire decides to join our enemies...that is a risk that we cannot take. I have been planning for something like this in the event that the Empire refused to come to our side."_

_"Such as...?"_

_"A decapitation strike. Cut off the head of the snake, and the body dies. The Empire is only held together by the Emperor and his wife. Remove them from the equation, and the Empire will revert back into its warlike state. At the same time, we kidnap some of the Empire's top prospects and bring them back here in order to strengthen the Leaf."_

_"If you do this, then eliminate the traitors to the leaf and their heirs. No one betrays Konoha."_

"_Takuma Uzumaki is also a threat. He must die as well."_

_"Fair enough. Sai."_

_"Lord Danzou?"_

_"This is a S-class black-ops mission for the good of the village. You will return to Kimon with two squads of ROOT ANBU. There, two weeks from now, you will eliminate the Emperor, his whore and the Imperial Council. They are your primary targets. Your secondary targets are the four clan heads - the Hyuuga, the Ino-Shika-Cho and their heirs. Last, you are to eliminate Takuma Uzumaki."_

_"Understood, Lord Shimura. Your will shall be done."_

Inoichi and Ino broke the jutsu and snapped his hand back, shocked and horrified. Inoichi turned to Naruto and Hinata. "Danzou and the two elders," he whispered. "They ordered our deaths. They wanted to kill all of us."

Ino, in the meantime, fought the urge to throw up.

"That's all I need to hear," Naruto said.

Hinata turned to Haku. "Take them to Zabuza, Anko and Ibiki," she ordered in a voice that could freeze hell over while Naruto handed him a second scroll detailing how to remove the seals on the ROOT's tongues. "Four of them is more than enough for interrogation purposes. Execute the rest. Tell them that for these four, the kid gloves are off. Nothing is out of bounds."

* * *

At a bar and grill in Kimon...

Zabuza Momichi and Ibiki Morino stopped in mid-drink. "Is it just me, or do I have this sudden urge to kiss the Empress Consort full on the mouth all of a sudden?" Zabuza asked.

"Yeah," Ibiki seconded. "It suddenly feels a lot like Christmas all of a sudden."

* * *

At a nearby dango stand, Anko Mitarashi stopped in mid-bite. A psychotic smile crept across her lips as she found herself loving her job with the Imperial Interrogation and Torture Unit.

* * *

Back inside the Imperial Complex...

Before Haku took them away, Naruto turned to Sai and bent low enough to whisper into his ear. "Remember this day, Sai. Remember in the little time you have left that you tried to kill Naruto Uzumaki and failed."

Sai's eyes went as wide as saucers. 'The Emperor was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki?!' was the last thing he thought before being taken away.

"So now what do we do?" Hiashi asked.

Naruto turned to his father-in-law. "I think a personal visit to Konoha is in order."

"Not to be a total buzzkill, Chief," Shikamaru pointed out, "but you really are not one of Tsunade's favorite people."

"You forget who I am, Shikamaru," Naruto replied. "I am the unpredictable one. Since the old hag is not responsible this time around, I'll leave her out of this." His expression darkened. "Sarutobi's two teammates are past their time for retirement. I'm going to see to that **personally**."

For Hiashi and the three clan heads and their heirs, they made a mental note. 'Note: Do no piss Naruto and Hinata off. Ever.'

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato, one week later...

Following a meeting with Danzou, Koharu and Honmura had returned to their separate homes. When asked about the Kimon Mission, Danzou had replied that Sai had not brought back word of the mission's status, but the warhawk was not worried. Sai was one of his best operatives, the ROOT ANBU who had went with him were the pick of the litter. Danzou had no worries that Sai would be successful in his mission to decapitate the Imperial hierarchy.

Honmura reached his home first. He had lived in a modest two-story home in Konoha's residential district, five houses down from Koharu. Following the Konoha Exodus, he decided a change in living quarters was in order. He had his eyes on the Nara Ranch, but the Hyuuga Compound looked very promising. As midnight approached, Honmura entered his home. Despite not being an active shinobi in decades, Honmura could tell that something was amiss.

Either that, or he was starting to get paranoid in his old age.

From the shadows, Naruto Namikaze watched his target. Using the Demon's Gate Jutsu, he had arrived in Tanzuka Town, far enough from Konoha. Rather than using a henge to disguise himself, Naruto instead wore the ANBU uniform pilfered from one of the ROOT ANBU who had tried to kill him along with Sai. Only this time, he wore a kitsune mask to hide his face.

Sneaking into Konoha was easy enough. Security in Konoha was incredibly lax, as they had gotten complacent in their abilities. He had toyed with the idea of killing both Sasuke and Hatake, but decided against it. Sasuke still had some use to him alive, and Zabuza wanted to take Kakashi's head himself.

So he decided to check out the town. Using the Rinnegan, he spied on his former cellmates, the remnants of the Shinobi Council, and the civilians. No genjutsu he was not aware of. Even Jiraiya and Tsunade did not show signs of being under any type of genjutsu. As night fell, he hid inside the Namikaze Estate, the seals allowing him access, as he was of the Namikaze line. To kill time before his personal mission, he even reinforced the seals so that Jiraiya could not break them. With his father's home secured and the midnight hour approaching, Naruto began his mission.

When Honmura entered his home, he had sealed his fate. Naruto knew he had to make his death look like either an accident or natural causes, or else Tsunade and the others would know that something is amiss. He knew that Koharu had heart problems and had her already taken care of. For Honmura, however, he decided on a more straightforward approach.

Honmura began to ascend the stairs which led to the second floor of his home. Imagine his shock and horror when upon reaching the second floor landing, that a kitsune-masked ANBU emerged from the shadows, grabbed him by his shirt and had him hanging on his tiptoes over the stairs, the only thing keeping him from falling to his death was the ANBU's iron grip on his shirt.

With his other hand, Naruto removed the kitsune mask, allowing the elder to get a good look of his face. "Recognize me now, Mitokado? I guess not. It has been six years since I was banished."

Honmura's eyes went wide. "You...Uzumaki?!" he gasped.

"You can call me Emperor," Naruto replied, enjoying the look of sheer terror on the elder's face. "Oh, yes, I know about Danzou's little plot to have myself killed, along with my wife, the council, my uncle and the clan heads who defected. I also know that you and Koharu supported this little scheme. Don't worry. Koharu will be joining you in death soon enough. It wasn't enough for you to kick me out of this cesspool for doing my job. Now, you and those two relics try and pull this stunt?"

"Naruto...please..." Honmura pleaded. "I'm sorry...we did what we thought was best."

"I know that you're sorry, Councilman..." Naruto's eyes then shifted into the Rinnegan. "...but for the sake of argument, let's pretend that you are not."

With that, Naruto released Honmura, who fell backwards, screaming as he fell down the stairs. The screams stopped when Naruto heard the unmistakable sound of a neck snapping. The now-dead councilman landed in a mangled heap on the first floor.

Walking down the stairs, Naruto inspected the body. Honmura was dead, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. If the broken neck did not kill him, then the cracked skull most certainly did, the pool of blood pooling around his head.

'One down,' Naruto thought as he secured his kitsune mask and vanished via shunshin.

* * *

Koharu's Home, minutes later.

Koharu Utatane sat at her table, sipping at her tea. It was her favorite - jasmine petal, and has been since her days in Team Tobirama. She had been worried that Sai had not sent word or returned from the West, and he was due back days ago.

Koharu was always a realist, in some cases, even more so than Danzou and Honmura. She had always believed that Konoha was the strongest of the shinobi villages. She also believed that the elders should rule the Leaf, and that the position of Hokage should be in most cases, abolished. Well, not abolished, but the Hokage would be more of a figurehead. Only problem was that Tsunade was gaining more power and influence with the council.

She continued to sip at her tea as an ANBU wearing a kitsune mask appeared from the shadows. Koharu wasn't worried, as she assumed that the ANBU was one of Danzou's pets, and that if the ROOT was inside her home, then that means that Danzou had an update on the Kimon Mission.

"I take it that Danzou has sent you to give me an update on the mission into the Empire?" Koharu asked.

She was most surprised when the ANBU pulled up a chair and sat down across from here. "No," the ANBU replied, right before removing his mask, showing Koharu his face.

Koharu's eyes widened. The ANBU seated before her looked a lot like Minato Namikaze, but with Kushina Uzumaki's hair color. Her eyes narrowed slightly before they widened in realization as to who was seated across from her. "Naruto Uzumaki..."

"The one and only, you old bitch," Naruto replied.

Koharu continued to sip at her tea. "So you decided to show yourself after Sai and the ROOT ANBU murdered your beloved Emperor," Koharu snorted. "Is that it, demon? Some sort of misguided revenge?"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Naruto replied. "For the record, Sai failed in his quest. The Emperor is still alive."

"So you know him, then?"

"I should," Naruto replied, eyes shifting into the Rinnegan. "The Emperor is me, Utatane. Hinata Hyuuga is my wife."

Koharu put the pieces together, hiding her shock that the Demon of Konoha was the most powerful man in the West. "It was through your wife that the clan heads and their children were allowed asylum."

"That, and the fact that out of all the clans in this village, the Hyuuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio saw me as what my parents wanted the entire village to see me as: a hero. Their children does not see me as a demon. By granting them asylum into my Empire, I am merely repaying them for their kindness towards me."

"So Sai failed," Koharu murmured as she calmly sipped at her tea. "What now?"

"Easy," Naruto replied. "I came here to watch you die."

"Bold words, demon brat," Koharu replied acidly. "You kill me, and then what? You won't make it out of Konoha, let alone Fire Country." She began to cough. "Tsunade will see to that."

"The old hag can't see past her sake bottle," Naruto replied. "As to the part where I kill you, I did that thirty minutes ago before I paid your teammate a visit."

Koharu blinked. Then she felt the pain in her chest. She began to gasp for air, the teacup falling from her hands and smashed upon impacting the floor. Her coughing grew even more violent, up to the point where she was coughing up blood. She stumbled to her feet and began to stumble around the room, all the while Naruto calmly sat at his chair.

"Feel the pain in your chest, do you?" Naruto taunted. "The shortness of breath and the feeling of impending doom? You met my captain of my Elite Guard back in Kimon. The Minazuki clan also specialize in various types of poisons. Benisato was more than happy to assist in my personal mission. The poison you ingested through your tea basically causes you to go into a myocardial infarction. In other words, you're having a heart attack."

"You...you...bastard!" Koharu gasped.

"The poison is also untraceable, and will leave your system upon your death," Naruto continued. "Your death will be written off as heart failure, given your past medical history with your bad heart. Oh, and don't worry about your precious Uchiha. I won't kill him...yet. He still have a use for me. He will be the catalyst for Konoha's desruction."

Koharu let out a cry as she keeled over, her body twitching violently before laying still, the death rattle escaping from her lips.

"Give my regards to Hiruzen," Naruto deadpanned as he retrieved his mask and slipped it back on. "Two down."

* * *

Underneath Konohagakure...

Danzou Shimura walked down the corridors of his underground ROOT compound. Having dismissed both Koharu and Honmura, Danzou retired deeper into his underground chambers. He shared the same concerns as did Koharu and Honmura, but he was not as worried as they were. Sai was his best man, and had never let him down just yet. He would have sent Sasuke to lead the mission, but decided against it. He had big plans for his Uchiha involving Konoha.

'Such a shame,' Danzou thought as he headed to his office. 'The Empire would have been a worthy ally to the Leaf. Shame that they had refused to join us. But this has to be done to make sure that they do not join our enemies. Sai will not fail me. He does not know how to fail."

When he entered his office, he was greeted with a horrific sight.

Resting on his desk, was Sai's head. Drained of blood, looking even more pale, eyes gouged out, tongue ripped out the face locked in a mask of eternal pain. The cane clattered to the floor as Danzou stumbled forward several steps, then fell to his knees as the totality had struck him in full force.

Sai was dead. His most loyal ROOT operative was dead.

It was at that moment Danzou realized that he could not move. Looking down at the floor, he saw that he was on an advanced-looking seal. "Wh...What is this?!"

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Danzou turned his head. Naruto emerged from the shadows, still dressed as an ANBU, the kitsune mask hiding his face, Rinnegan active. In one hand, was the tipless tanto the ANBU used for their primary weapons. "Fuuinjutsu is a very interesting art, wouldn't you agree, old man?"

Danzou looked at the eyes and saw the Rinnegan. "You...the Emperor?!"

Naruto grinned. "Got it in one, Shimura." He gestured to the seal that Danzou was on. "Just because I am a leader does not mean that unlike you, who lead from the shadows and believes that all shinobi are tools, I can get my hands dirty. That seal is of my own design, if I can be so modest. The seal is designed to drain you of your chakra and nullify any type of dojutsu, offensive and defensive seals you have on your person, and various bloodline-based abilities. The more you resist, the more painful it will be. So to recap...your mission failed. I'm still alive, as is my wife. The Council is still alive. Takuma Uzumaki is still alive. Oh, and the four clan heads and their heirs are alive as well." He gestured to Sai's head. "Removing the seal from Sai's tongue was pretty easy. He and the three other ROOT ANBU we kept alive for interrogation purposes gave us some pretty useful information...well, that and where you keep your dirty little secrets at," Naruto said, holding up a black book which had all of Danzou's past crimes written inside with great detail.

"I know that you and Sarutobi's former teammates orchestrated this little mission. Mitokado and Utatane had paid for this offense with their lives," Naruto continued. "A broken neck with a cracked skull for Honmura and a heart attack for Koharu...terrible business. I also know that you have a Sharingan behind those bandages, and that you tried to use it to persuade the council into agreeing into the alliance with Konoha," Naruto continued. "Like I said, fuuinjutsu is a very interesting art, especially when used to repel genjutsu." He tapped at the fake arm hidden inside his robes. "I also know about the special arm with the multiple Sharingans and the Senju DNA grafted to you. Now how would your little Uchiha pet and the old hag of a Hokage would react if they somehow find out that you ripped off their clan's respective bloodlines, hmm? Oh, I destroyed your reserves, by the way."

"You...you have any idea what you have done?!" Danzou grated, furious.

Naruto continued to twist the knife. "I also know that you conspired with the Uchiha in their attempted coup, but when Itachi notified Sarutobi, that forced your hand. I also know that you sold out the Uzumaki clan and Whirlpool to her enemies in the last war. Good thing that the Yondaime's wife did not trust you, as the Uzumaki fled west. You also conspired with Hanzou the Salamander and Doto Kazahana. The Devil's hands have been very busy. For your crimes, I can just as easily kill you like I did to the other two. I can just as easily do to Kohona what you tried to do to my Empire; kill the Godaime, that super-pervert of a teammate. I can just as easily execute the Konoha Council, wipe out the shinobi clans and their heirs. Better yet...I could have Naruto Uzumaki come back and unleash the Nine-Tails upon this village. But I'm in a merciful mood and I will spare them, since they are innocent...for the time being. Your life will also be spared, so you can bear witness. Konohagakure no Sato will fall by my hands." He pocketed Danzou's black ops book. "In the meantime, I will keep this to make sure you keep your mouth shut. So listen and listen good. If you, or anyone else from the Leaf attack my homeland, my people or my interests...I will return...with my army."

Naruto rose from his feet and exited the office, but not before incinerating Sai's head with a flame jutsu. Thirty minutes later, the seal which kept Danzou in place was gone and the old warhawk collapsed onto the ground. By the time he was able to move under his own power, Naruto was long gone, having used the Demon's Gate jutsu to safely return to the Empire.

Later on that day, inside the council chambers, Tsunade had reported the passing of both Koharu Utatane and Honmura Mitokado. With their deaths, Danzou had lost his top two backers. But his hands were tied. If he told Tsunade what he knew, then the Emperor would literally unleash hell on Konoha.

And before that, both Tsunade and Sasuke would kill him for stealing their respective bloodlines.


	5. Interlude: Diary and Journal Entries

**Interlude: Diary and Journal Entries**

Snafu's Notes: This chapter will be a filler of sorts, which will lead to the Akatsuki invading Suna. After this, the story will begin in the aftermath of the invasion.

Naruto's Journal

**Entry 1:**

**Can't believe that it's been a year since Hinata and I had granted the four clan heads asylum, and a lot has happened since then. Where to begin...In the six months since they had arrived, the Hyuuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho had integrated themselves into the Empire without incident. First off is the younger Ino-Shika-Cho. Just like a Nara, Shikamaru and Temari had become a couple. Once Gaara found out about this while inspecting the Suna Consulate, Shikamaru led him on a chase throughout the Imperial Capital, Gaara trying to catch him with his sand so he could crush him.**

**It took both Temari and Kankuro to calm him down, Temari explaining that both her and Shikamaru were dating, and has been for quite some time. Even I did not know about them being a couple until recently, which did not surprise me in the least. Like I said in the meeting regarding the refugees, the Nara are attracted to - and can attract - feisty women. For Ino, she enjoys being a medic-nin. Both her and Karin had struck up a friendship while Ino studied under Hinata. What was more surprising was the fact that Ino is now dating Haku. Which led to Inoichi chasing down the ice user throughout the streets of Kimon when he found out. It took both Zabuza and Ibiki to calm the Yamanaka clan head down. Zabuza would be very displeased if his adopted son ended up with irreversible brain damage.**

**Chouji works with his dad in the Shinobi Affairs Division alongside Shikaku. The Akamichi also reopened their restaurant in Kimon, which has become a popular eatery in the Imperial Capital. Inoichi and his wife also reopened their flower shop, with Inoichi's wife running the business while he is away working with Zabuza and Ibiki.**

**Of course, this doesn't mean that the Ino-Shika-Cho has broken up. Far from it, the younger team has made a name for themselves in the West. As it turned out, Hayate Okajima had taken an interest in the trio following a shogi match inside a parlor house in Kimon with Shikamaru, and became the de facto sensei to the Ino-Shika-Cho. Honestly, I don't know what Asuma had been teaching them, but under The Tengu, their teamwork has drastically improved tenfold. The Pekara Merchant House has them on call when it comes to escorting caravans all over the Empire when they defended it against a group of bandits in the Southern Region.**

**Tenten is now a member of the Hellcat Unit, having survived the hell of Hellcat Training (trust me, I know, as Yugito is a certified sadist). She is now the Shinobi Weapons Expert for the Hellcats. She also works at the Himura Weapons shop and spars with Miho Himura on occasion. Following the six-month probation period, in which Hinata, the Council and myself had formally welcomed the four clans into the Empire, both her and Neji had gotten engaged.**

**Following the two-on-one match against Takeshi Chiba, Rock Lee was approached by a retired shinobi who had fought alongside me in the Unification Wars. His name was Jun Fan, and he was a Taijutsu expert in the Goken style. Rock Lee was very interested in learning the advanced style taught to him by Maito Gai. Even though Rock Lee still sprouted his 'Springtime of Youth' schtick on occasion, he has developed into his own person, and not into a mini-Gai clone. He still wears green, but thank the gods that it's no longer spandex.**

**Hiashi has taken Neji under his wing, and has trained him in the Advanced Jyuukenpo techniques. Hinata had formally recognized Hanabi as the Hyuuga clan heiress and Hanabi made Neji her second-in-command of the clan. It will be a couple of years, but Hanabi will be a strong head of the Hyuuga Clan.**

**By the way, did I forget to mention that Hinata is pregnant? Yeah, Hinata is pregnant. I won't go into details, but it was after the Unification Festival that we ended up naked in bed. Three days after, the tests came back in, and Hinata told me while in bed one morning. When we broke the news that day during the meeting with the Imperial Council and guess what happened? A fight broke out between the council members over who would be the godparent of our child. I allowed this to continue for another minute before I called the meeting to order and announced that Spring Damiyo Kazahana already had called dibs on her being the godmother for our child in exchange for Hinata and I being godmother for her child. That deflated the council at first. But then, a second fight took place over who would be the godparent over the second child Hinata and I would most likely have.**

**Seriously, most of the time, they are not usually like this.**

Hinata's Diary

Entry 1:

**Naruto and I are officially parents. It's been three days since our return from the hospital. Outside, I can hear the celebrations continue, the people of the Empire celebrating the birth of our child. Our first child was a boy. The Namikaze Dynasty has its heir to the throne. Naruto and I named him after his father, Minato. Minato Uzumaki Namikaze.**

**As it turns out, I wasn't the only one pregnant. Tenten was also pregnant at the time, but she was three weeks along before me. Neji was the father. She had her child about five weeks before mine. Neji and Tenten agreed to name him after his late father, Hizashi. Hizashi had the Bykaugan. Minato didn't. More than likely, he will have the Rinnegan. If we have a second child, they would more than likely have the Bykaugan. Dad, on the other hand, couldn't be anymore happier. He has a grandson and a grandnephew to spoil.**

**Kouda and Kokoro were virtual godsends in helping me with my impending motherhood. Aside from them, the council visited Naruto and I to check out little Minato and offer their best wishes. Right now, Koyuki Kazahana is here, staying in the palace, like she always does whenever she arrives, and she is giddy with delight. She and Naruto are doting over Minato at the moment. When Minato was born, Naruto made a promise to me. He promised that he will always be there for his child. My response was that I will hold him to that promise.**

Naruto's Journal

**Entry 2:**

**Just returned from Konoha, where I retrieved the ashes of my parents. This marks the second time I visited my old home, the first was when I killed both Koharu and Honmura and issued my warning to Danzou. The ANBU disguise worked the last time around, so after midnight, I snuck into the cemetery and retrieved their remains. I could have returned to the West then, but my old pranking habits reemerged with a vengeance. So I raided the armory and pilfered it of every single exploding tag and placed them on the Hokage Monument...after spiking the old hag's sake with laxatives.  
**

**When I discovered I had some left over, I also placed them inside Ichiraku's Ramen Stand as payback for serving me poison-laced ramen on my birthday up until my banishment. Once the tags were secured, I retreated back to my father's estate and used the Hiraishin to teleport myself out of the village. Once I had a nice view of the village, I activated the tags.**

**The two Senju's heads were the first to go, followed by Sarutobi's image. It was sad to see my father's head blow up, but I felt great satisfaction in seeing the pieces of the old hag's face crash onto the Hokage Tower. I retreated back to the West via the Demon's Gate, my mission complete. I presented the remains of my parents to the council, and told them that I blew up the Hokage Monument out of pure spite. With the damage I done, the mountain would be pretty much useless to use for a monument in the future.**

**The remains of both my mother and father were buried in the Uzumaki Crypt in a private ceremony attended only by myself and Hinata, Takuma Uzumaki and the Uzumaki clan. Takuma took me to the side and thanked me for returning the remains of the Uzumaki princess and her husband.**

**A couple of days later, Fu dropped off several communiques from our information network in the East. Captain Asahina reported that the village of Konoha was under martial law following my visit. As it turned out, I was not the only one inside the village. Itachi Uchiha decided to visit and screw with his brother. The detonation of the explosive tags on the Hokage Monument provided the distraction for Itachi to escape. Whoops. As it turns out, the destruction of the Hokage Monument was blamed on Itachi and the Akatsuki. No matter, the Uchiha traitor has his own part to play.**

Entry 3:

**Led a personal expedition to Whirlpool Country consisting of myself, Takuma Uzumaki and the Four Devas in order to retrieve several hidden Uzumaki scrolls. Hinata remained behind in the West with Minato, as did Kurama. The reason being is that I wanted to smoke Obito out of his hiding place.**

**No, I don't plan on killing him...yet. Just a friendly chat.**

**Obito probably knows that I have the Jinchuuriki, but cannot risk coming to the West, as even he knows that he does not stand a chance against the Imperial forces there, despite his own advantages. But if I was in the East and allowed Zetsu to notify him that I was in Whirlpool, then he would come.**

**Obito did not disappoint. He showed up, along with Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Hidan and Kazuku. Sasori and Deidara remained behind at one of their many bases. Our little confrontation proved to be very...interesting, to say the least.**

[Flashback]

_Ruins of Uzushiogakure no Sato, Whirlpool Country, three days earlier._

_Kage-style hat covering his face, dressed in his standard shinobi uniform with black flak vest and haori, Naruto was ready for a fight. The Four Devas - Kintaro, Rasu, Sadako and Kaede - flanked their Emperor as the Akatsuki emerged from the shadows opposite of the Imperial group._

_First was Sasuke's brother, Itachi Uchiha. His partner, Kisame Hoshigaki stood beside him, sizing up Kintaro and his massive broadsword. But Naruto knew that the walking sushi plate was still smarting from when he had taken Utakata from both him and the Uchiha. Next were the Zombie brothers, Hidan and Kakuzu. The last time around, Sadako had fought Hidan, while Rasu fought the miserly Kazuku. The last time around, Kakuzu had three of his five hearts destroyed, while Hidan was nearly burnt to a crisp._

_Last, was the one whose actions had put his life into motion. His father's former student. Hatake's former teammate. Obito Uchiha. Sasori and Deidara were absent, as they were back in Ame with Konan and Nagato._

_The Akatsuki mastermind watched the Emperor and the Four Devas with a wary, calculating eye. Obito was furious that this upstart had intercepted the Jinchuuriki, this bringing the Moon Eye Plan to a screeching halt. But he also knew that the Emperor was an unknown wielding the same dojutsu he had implanted into Nagato. And these four warriors who stood alongside the Emperor were in most cases, even stronger than the Akatsuki._

_Obito took a seat on another overturned pillar and faced the Emperor. Looking around the ruins for a moment, he turned his attention back to the Emperor. "So...you're the Emperor of the West, I assume?"_

_"Good assumption," Naruto replied. "And you are the supposed leader of this motley crew of S-class missing nin?"_

_"I am," Obito confirmed. "You know, you are not what I expected from someone who has united the West. I was expecting someone much older."_

_"Sorry to disappoint you," Naruto said._

_Obito folded his arms across his chest. "Where are the Jinchuuriki?"_

_"Safe within the Empire. Safe from those who wish to use them as weapons. But most importantly, safe from you and your plans."_

_"I seek only to bring about an everlasting peace," Obito said. "You and I are the same."_

_"Only difference is your method of peace involves robbing the people of their free will," Naruto said. "Oh yes...I know all about Operation Moon Eye."_

_Even though he could not see it, Obito's eye narrowed. "How do you know about that?"_

_"There is not a whole lot I don't know about the plan," the Emperor replied. "Or about you for that matter. I know that Tobi is not your real name. I also know that Madara Uchiha is dead as a doornail and that you are certainly not him." One hand reached up and removed the kage-style hat._

_Had it not been for the hair color being different, he would have been a spitting image of Minato Namikaze. It did give both Obito and Itachi a cause for alarm._

_"Minato...impossible..." Obito said, taken aback. "You...you died."_

_"Yondaime...you live..." Itachi whispered._

_"Wrong on both counts," Naruto said, looking at Obito. "We have met before. I was but a newborn, only several minutes old. You came for the Nine-Tails that was inside my mother. You just did not expect my father to seal the fox inside of me, didn't you...Obito Uchiha?"_

_Itachi blinked. The head of the Akatsuki was a fellow clan member thought to have died?_

_Obito ignored the fallen Uchiha prodigy as he focused on Naruto. "Naruto Uzumaki...you've grown."_

_"That I agree," Naruto replied. "Despite Sarutobi's attempts to stunt my growth...despite the fact that they pissed on my father's final wishes...and despite the betrayal of my former cell and my godparents...yes, I have grown. Without the village to hold me back, I have grown indeed."_

_"Strong enough to become the Emperor of the West," Itachi noted._

_"I'll say," Hidan seconded. "Who knew the little fucker could reach such potential? So much blood he had spilled in order to get to where he is. Jashin would have been pleased."_

_"Amazing what hard work can do. Something that your brother has failed to realize," Naruto said, causing Itachi to wince slightly. "But what I want to know is this...you were part of my father's cell. Why did you betray my father?"_

_"Let's get one thing straight," Obito replied defensively. "I had nothing but the utmost respect for Minato, both as a shinobi and as a leader. Even after Madara had shown me the truth in regards to the Uchiha and the Senju, I still respected him, because he gave me a chance. But in the end, he was so damn honorable, even going as far as to seal the fox inside your body, as he would not want no other child to be subject to the life of a jinchuuriki."_

_The masked man paused for a moment. "Their deaths were but a minor setback for the greater plans of the Akatsuki. But you, on the other hand, have brought what Madara wanted, what I wanted in danger. You may call Operation Moon's Eye what you want, but all I want is a world free of war, of suffering, an end to the tears."_

_"With the Uchiha leading the world in an era of so-called peace," Naruto snorted._

_"Better us than the Senju," Obito rebuked. "You yourself can bear witness to that, Naruto. I know that Tsunade was your great-aunt, as well as your godmother. I know she blames you for your mother's death just as Jiraiya blames you for the death of Minato. You have gotten strong, even stronger than Sasuke. Even without the fox, you have gotten stronger. In effect, you owe me. I made you what you are today. If it wasn't for me, you would be stagnating in Konohagakure no Sato, just like Sasuke is right now. And it would be a shame to have you as my enemy when I can have you as my ally instead."_

_Naruto cocked an eyebrow._

_"Your father was my teacher," Obito continued. "I can be a teacher to you, a mentor. I can show you how to master the Rinnegan, to master the Six Paths. You have the potential to become even greater than your father, than the other Hokages before and after him. You becoming Emperor of the West is proof of that. Join me, Naruto. Join me and we can lift the web of lies. We can crush the Leaf once and for all!"_

_"You have an interesting point," Naruto said. "But...I must decline, as your crimes are too great."_

_"Crimes? What crimes?" Obito asked._

_Naruto ticked off Obito's offenses on his fingers. "You used the Sharingan on Yagura and incited a bloodline purge upon the innocent people of Mist in an attempt to eliminate those who would be a threat to the Uchiha and the Sharingan in the long run. You tried to use the Jinchuuriki - the closest I have as brothers and sisters - in a plan for world domination. But your greatest crime is that you robbed me of my parents." He stood up. "My parents know that it was you who had done this. They also know about the Sannin's betrayal. So consider this my solemn pledge: I will not only wipe Konoha off the map, with Sasuke as the catalyst for Konoha's destruction, but I will also exterminate your organization...and I will crush the remnant of the Uchiha clan. Itachi will die...as will Sasuke...and you."_

[End Flashback]

**Obito did not take my declaration very well. The Akatsuki attacked. I and the Four Devas fought back. Hidan had taken on Kaede, Kisame fought Kintaro, Sadako and Kakuzu mixed it up, and Itachi wanted a rematch against Rasu. I fought Obito. His time-space jutsu had started to get annoying, until I got close enough to slap a seal on him which nullified it, thus making the battle a bit more even.**

**Obito wielded a katana and Madara's battle fan. I had only my O-katana. Bless you, Sonshi, for teaching me Iaido. And bless you, Zabuza for teaching me kenjutsu. I think Obito was very much surprised that I was at his level, or in my case, exceeded it. He did tag me with a couple of good shots, while I destroyed his mask. Obito, seeing that he could not win, ordered the others to retreat...after seeing that his members had been defeated once again.**

**The message had been sent. The Son of the Yondaime is back. And he is gunning for you.**

Entry 4:

**War is imminent for Suna. I should start from the beginning. Hinata and I were in Suna on an inspection tour of the Suna branch of the Pekara Merchant House...and to receive intel regarding Konoha, Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. Honestly, I did not expect two of the Akatsuki to try and kidnap Gaara.**

**The mad bomber from Iwa, Deidara and Chiyo's grandson, the mad puppeteer Sasori of the Red Sands. Sometimes, it sucks being the Emperor. Deidara and Sasori had planned this well, I have to admit. A sleeper agent named Yura served as one of Gaara's advisers slaughtered the entire guard assigned to guard Suna's gates.**

**I confronted him along with Baki shortly after Deidara and Sasori infiltrated. He was strong, but he was no match for me. Once he was dealt with, I took on Sasori. God, did that guy love his puppets. He even went as far as to make his own body as one in an attempt at eternal youth.**

**Sasori was very surprised to see that I was the Emperor of the West. That was all I needed. One fiery Rasenshuriken later and his attack puppets were reduced to carbon, with Sasori himself crippled to the point that he begged for his life. Too bad that I was not in a forgiving mood as I crushed his heart under my heel and incinerated his remains.**

**With Sasori dead and gone, I had to see how Gaara was making out with Deidara. I arrived just in time to see Deidara on the back of a giant clay bird dodging Gaara's sand. To bad Deidara did not see my wife on a neaby roof, nor that Gaara was manipulating him into moving closer to Hinata.**

**When Deidara was close enough, Hinata struck. I think I'm rubbing off on her. She leapt into the air and blasted him off of his clay bird with a scorching Deadly Tempest. As she fell back to the Earth, I caught her while Gaara caught Deidara in his sand. One Sand Burial later, and Deidara was no more.**

**I had a feeling that Zetsu had seen the battle and had hightailed it out of Suna to report it to Obito. Which meant that we will soon have an invasion on our hands. I told Gaara that if I was Obito, I would invade Suna. He agreed with me and began to mobilize his forces. Hinata and I returned to the West. I called an emergency meeting of the Imperial Council and told them of the impending invasion and of my intentions to help Gaara. The council agreed and with their blessings, I mobilized four battalions – two shinobi battalions and two samurai battalions. Not taking any chances, Hinata had also mobilized the Imperial Logistics and Medical Division, as she expected the number of wounded shinobi to be very high.**

**I also summoned Zabuza and his Demon Brigade. Zabuza was more than happy to get in on the impending action. The Four Devas, Cell Nine and the younger Ino-Shika-Cho also volunteered. But that would not be enough. I needed more backup.**

**Which is why I summoned the Jinchuuriki.**

[Flashback]

_House of Sovereigns, Council Chambers_

_The Emperor and Empress Consort of the Western Empire sat in their chairs as the Jinchuuriki (and one freed bijuu queen) stood before them. Following the deaths of both Sasori and Deidara in Suna, it was made clear that an Akatsuki invasion of Suna was imminent. With only 72 hours to prepare for the impending invasion of Suna, Naruto had to work fast. Naruto had already mobilized four battalions of the Imperial Defense Force and they were primed and ready. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Cell Nine were also summoned and ready to enter into the fray._

_Naruto looked at the Jinchuuriki assembled. To him, they were the closest thing he had as siblings, given their connection to being bijuu containers. "In less than three days, Gaara and Suna will be attacked by the Akatsuki. With the exception of Sasori and Deidara, who have been killed by Hinata, Gaara and myself, the entire gang from Itachi Uchiha to Konan and the Six Paths are coming to play. Even worse, they are backed by 100,000 White Zetsu clones."_

_"What does this have to do with us?" Han grumbled._

_"I plan on going to war against the Akatsuki," Naruto continued. "I plan on wiping them out once and for all. The reason why all of you are here is that I am asking you to come with me to Suna. Given your past problems with the Akatsuki in regards to your bijuu, I'd figure that you would want some payback. If you refuse, then I will not hold it against you, and you will be free to leave."_

_The Jinchuuriki looked at one another, conversing with each other for a moment. Yugito was the first to speak. "I've fought alongside you and Hinata for a long time. As long as I can bring my Hellcats to the party, I'm in."_

_"Granted," Naruto confirmed._

_"Ah...what the hell," Utakata said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll come as well."_

_"Same here," Fu seconded._

_"We'll take these punks to the pain," Killer Bee rapped, causing the others to sweat-drop. "Show 'em that the West plays no games."_

_"You did save both Han and myself from the Akatsuki," Roshi said. "For that, we owe you big. I'm game."_

_Han nodded his consent. "Payback sounds good. Real good. Count me in."_

_"And you, Kurama?" Naruto asked._

_The redheaded woman shrugged her shoulders. "No need to ask me that question, kid. Obito and I have some unfinished business."_

_"So long as you don't kill him," Naruto said. "Just beat him within an inch of his life. I want him alive enough so I can take his head myself."_

[End Flashback]

**Say what you want about Kurama, but she proved to be very helpful in transporting four battalions, plus three special forces teams and the remaining Jinchuuriki to Suna en masse. When I returned, Gaara had been busy. He had evacuated the civilians out of the city and into several fallback positions out of harm's way. Suna was made into a virtual fortress.**

**To anyone from the Elemental Countries who is watching, you will bear witness and see what happens when you decide to screw with the Unified West and her allies. This will give you pause and to rethink your line of thought.**

Hinata's Diary

**The battle is over. The Suna-Imperial Forces have won. The Akatsuki have been annihilated. 100,000 Zetsu Clones, along with Obito and Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, the Zombie Brothers and the Six Paths of Pain, against 6,500 Suna ninja, 50,000 Imperial Soldiers, six Jinchuuriki and one freed Tailed Beast.**

**Sounds like a suicide battle, right? Well, my husband was once known as the unpredictable, knuckleheaded ninja of Konoha. And as Emperor, he still lives up to his title.**

**Gaara had declared most of the city expendable. Suna can always rebuild, he surmised. Kurama vowed to deal with Obito personally, while Naruto decided to deal with Itachi. The Consulate had been transformed into a triage center and the Yamada clan were renowned for their healing jutsu. Naruto had ordered me to remain at the Kazekage Tower. I refused. "Where you go, I go," I told him, giving him no room to argue with me.**

**He sighed and allowed me to come with him. The gathered forces of Suna and the Empire were in the streets, ready for the battle. Seeing as how I had fought alongside him, I know how Naruto works. He has that charisma that makes people believe in him, which is why the Imperial Forces will follow him even into the depths of Hell.**

**"This is where we fight! This is where they die! The Akatsuki will be crushed once and for all! Give them nothing! But take from them everything!"**

**The Imperial Forces and the Suna ninja broke into cheers, raising their weapons into the air. Naruto sure knows how to work the crowd, to pump them up full of confidence. It was midnight when the Akatsuki came. They came in through the gates which had been destroyed earlier by Deidara, led by Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki.**

**Naruto and Gaara had encountered the first half of the Zetsu clones. Naruto created two hundred shadow clones and brought down a quarter of the Zetsu clones using the Hirashin, followed by Gaara crushing a sizable portion with the Sand Burial.**

**As the second wave of clones came charging in, led by Obito himself Naruto pulled out his trump card. He unleashed the Jinchuuriki upon the Akatsuki. Obito had expected to capture them one at a time. But he wasn't expecting all of them to be fighting in this battle. While Kurama went after Obito, Naruto fought Itachi.**

**The battle between the fallen Uchiha and my husband was indeed brutal. Naruto would tell me about it shortly afterward. A epic battle of swords, fists and jutsu. One city block was incinerated with Itachi's Amaterasu alone. Another was razed to the ground by Naruto's Deadly Tempest.**

**But Naruto would gain the upper hand in the battle when he feigned weakness and allowed Itachi to transport him inside Tsukoyomi. Then he activated his Rinnegan and released himself from Tsukyomi by using a specialized seal he had created. During the battle, he had gotten close enough to slip it on Itachi's back. It also had the desired effect of destroying Itachi's Sharingan eyes.**

**Naruto retrieved his sword and disemboweled Itachi.**

**Kurama, in the meantime, had beaten Obito within an inch of his miserable life and ripped out the Rinnegan. She would not kill him, as Naruto deserved some payback for what he had done to his family.**

**Zabuza also came out on top in his match against Kisame. He was injured after Kisame scratched him with Samehada, but he would survive. Zabuza's Demon Unit left a path of destruction in their wake. A and Bee were pretty much indestructible together, as the pile of Zetsu corpses could attest to the fact. Yugito and her Hellcats showed no mercy. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Cell Nine had a combined total of three hundred kills. Both Rock Lee and Neji were injured in the battle and were taken to the Kazekage Tower to be treated. Hayate Okajima would be pleased greatly as to how the Ino-Shika-Cho had came out. Jun Fan and Hiashi would be proud of Rock Lee and Neji respectively.**

**The Four Devas took on the Six Paths and Konan. Nagato had attempted to destroy Suna with a Shinra Tensei, but was stopped by Kintaro and Rasu – Kintato had heaved Rasu towards the Human Path and electrocuted him. Chakra rods also are excellent conductors for electricity, so much so that the feedback ended up killing Nagato.**

**The Elite Guards had defended the Kazakage Tower along with Temari and Kankuro. Utakata and Fu also assisted in defending the tower. Han and Roshi were like a force unleashed. Han's steam armor made him invulnerable to Zetsu's attacks. I think those two killed more than the rest of the Jinchuuriki combined. Like Naruto, Gaara was on the front lines, enveloping the Zetsu clones in mass Sand Coffins, and destroying them with the Sand Burials. Shukaku had boosted Gaara's killing abilities a hundredfold.**

**While Naruto was fighting Itachi, I assisted the Elite Guards. My kill tally was up to 120 Zetsu clones. Not too shabby if I say so myself.**

**After Naruto had eliminated Itachi, he reunited with Gaara and the others, and pushed the remaining Zetsu clones into the town center. Out of a force of 100,000 clones, only three hundred remained. Naruto gave the order: "Destroy them all."**

**And that we did.**

**Once Naruto and Gaara had claimed victory, Naruto had retreated to the Kazekage tower. Once behind closed doors, he passed out from chakra exhaustion. Gaara and I carried him to the Kazakage office, and allowed him to rest. The Akatsuki Invasion of Suna is officially over.**


	6. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Snafu's Notes: An Early Christmas Gift to my fans.

Sunagakure no Sato, Wind Country - three days after the conclusion of the Akatsuki Invasion of Suna.

It would be three days before Naruto regained consciousness. "Oh, my head." His headache was soon gone as he felt the effects of the Mystic Palm jutsu. He recognized that touch in an instant. "Hinata."

"Yes, love. It's me."

Naruto slowly opened his eyes. He found himself stretched out on the couch inside the Kazekage's office. Hinata was by his side, looking just as worn out as he was. The Emperor rose to a seated position. "How long was I out?"

"Almost three days. It's early evening," Hinata replied. "You should take it easy, Naruto. You're still exhausted."

"I know. My reserves are at least half-full, so I should be okay. What's been happening?"

Hinata sat down next to him. "After the battle, I sent back word to the West that we had won. Ryuji and Haruka had ordered all Pekara Merchants in the area to deliver food and aid to Suna. The Pekara Merchant House has been busy around the clock."

"Remind me to send a 'thank-you' note to the Shinzens," Naruto replied. "Anything else?"

"Gaara's placed all of Suna under martial law," Kurama said as she entered the office, followed by Gaara, Shikamaru and the Sand Siblings. "Glad to see you're awake, kit. Hinata has been by your side for the past couple of days."

"I noticed," Naruto replied. "The others? The Jinchuuriki?"

"All are alive and accounted for," Shikamaru replied. "Obito is under heavy guard around the clock. Congratulations, Namikaze. You have won a great victory."

Naruto shook his head. "No. We all did. I can't take the credit. We all fought long and hard, and against a powerful enemy." He stood up. Hinata had his Kage-style hat in his hands. He graciously accepted it and placed the hat over his head.

Gaara stepped up and extended his hand. "Lord Namikaze. Congratulations."

Naruto shook it. "Same to you, Lord Kazekage." He looked at his clothes. "Is there a place where I can clean myself up? I can't go out looking like this in front of my people."

"Temari, show the Emperor our guest quarters," he said.

"Of course, Gaara." To Naruto, she said, "Follow me."

* * *

Inside a the guest bedroom, Naruto, naked from the waist up, sat on the edge of the bed, fresh and clean from the shower while Hinata conducted an impromptu physical on her husband. Hinata knew every part of Naruto's body both figuratively and literally, which is why she had became his unofficial physician. Bykaugan activated, Hinata checked Naruto's body for any and all internal injuries.

Naruto's body had a myriad of cuts, scrapes and bruises. Even though Kurama was no longer his tenant, he still had the healing factor, a parting gift from the Nine-Tails, which came in pretty handy, and still proved to be useful even now. Despite being the Emperor of the West, he was a hands-on type of ruler, which earned him the respect and admiration of his council, his subordinates and subjects. The battle with Itachi and Obito had taken a lot out of him, and he would not be ready to travel for a couple of days, which meant that he would have to wait until his chakra reserves were back to full capacity.

Shikamaru Nara and Temari were going over the reports following the battle. "Half of Suna is wrecked from the battle, but it's nothing that we can't overcome," Temari said.

"Casualties?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru looked over the reports. "Zero dead, over a thousand wounded from the Imperial Forces. Zero dead from Suna, about five hundred wounded. The hospital here was full to capacity, so Matsuri ended up using those buildings which survived the battle as triage centers for the extra wounded. The Suna and Imperial medics are working in 12-hour shifts to make sure that the injured are treated and taken care of."

"Medical supplies?" Naruto asked, wincing slightly as Hinata poked a sore spot on his arm.

"Not a problem, seeing as we have a nice little surplus on reserve," Hinata replied as Naruto winced slightly. "Did that hurt?"

"A little, but I've been through worse," Naruto said. To Shikamaru, he asked, "How you and your teammates holding up?"

"Bit troublesome, but we'll live, Chief," the shadow user replied.

"I've read the reports on the battle, and I am glad to say that all that training under Okajima has paid off," Naruto said. "Both your team and Cell Nine have gone beyond the call of duty, and you both will be recognized for your actions in not only saving Suna, but also stopping the Akatsuki and more importantly, thwarting a fourth Shinobi War."

"Thanks," Shikamaru deadpanned.

"The both of you are dismissed," Hinata said. Once Shikamaru and Temari were gone, Hinata deactivated her Bykaugan and continued to inspect her husband, stopping to retrieve a small canister of healing salve and rubbing it all over the various bruises. "Your injuries could have been a whole lot worse," she said.

"Given who were my opponents were, I'm not surprised," Naruto replied. "I faced down two Uchiha. One's dead, and the other will be executed once we return home." He turned his head in order to look at his wife. "I thought that medics were to stay away from the battle."

"I'm not like any medic-nin," Hinata replied. "I am the Empress Consort of the Western Empire. But most important of all, I am your wife, and I fight by your side."

"Seeing as how you can seal my chakra with your Gentle Fist, as well as causing untold levels of pain on my body, I know better not to disagree with you," Naruto deadpanned.

Hinata smiled. "Smart move," she said, pecking him on the nose. "There. Done." She closed the jar of salve and placed it back inside her pouch. "Nothing broken, thankfully."

Naruto nodded as he finished getting dressed. The knock on the door came as Naruto finished dressing up in his battle uniform - the mesh shirt, black pants and ninja sandals. The black flak vest was partially covered by the black haori with the red flame pattern on the tail ends, the Four Symbols Seal on his back in red. Whenever he was leading into battle, his hair was styled in spikes, similar as to how his father would usually wear it, rather than being combed back. He wore no hitai-ate, but reached for his kage-style hat instead.

Hinata turned to the door. "Come in."

The door opened and in walked a battered Fu. "Chief. Lady Hinata."

"What is it, Fu?" Naruto asked, turning around.

"I received word from the Pekara outpost at the Wind-Fire border. Konoha shinobi are on the way here," Fu reported.

Naruto looked at Hinata, whose expression mirrored that of his own. "They must have heard about the Akatsuki invading and want to try and get back on Gaara's good side," Naruto surmised. "Too bad the battle's over." Turning back to Fu, he asked, "How many are coming?"

"At least two hundred Jounin. We managed to identify some of them who are coming. Both of your former senseis and cells have been identified. The others are Asuma Sarutobi, Maito Gai, and Yamato. The Godaime and Jiraiya are leading the mission personally. We put their time of arrival at least four days from now."

That caused Naruto to pause. Once again, the Emperor looked at his wife. "Looks like playtime is officially over," Naruto said.

Hinata nodded. "I agree. It's time to reveal ourselves to our former village," she said. "No more hiding." To Fu she said, "You're dismissed."

Fu nodded and returned to the Imperial Consulate in the village.

* * *

Four days later...

The city gates had been blown off, the city walls had cracks, crevasses and holes. Bodies of Zetsu clones littered the area surrounding the city gates as Tsunade and the Konoha envoy approached the gates. The Konoha ninja identified the Suna ninja by their style of flak vests. Squads of Suna Jounin and Imperial troops were hard at work rounding up the bodies and burning them in several giant pyres. The Konoha envoy passed several of them as they approached the gates. Pekara Merchants led their caravans into and out of the city, dropping off food and aid.

What surprised Tsunade and the others was as they approached the city walls, they noticed the number of tents located on one side of the city gates, the Imperial Forces having made camp, since Suna was too small for the Imperial Forces to contain. They could hear the laughter and the music coming from the camp, as the Imperial soldiers recounted their heroic feats of not only themselves, but of their Emperor, the Empress Consort, the Kazekage, and of the Suna ninja, of which the Imperial Forces have grown to respect.

Tsunade frowned. From what Jiraiya had told her, it took them nearly a week to reach the West by boat, and half that time by airship. And yet, here were Imperial shinobi in and around Suna. Jiraiya's expression matched that of his former teammate as he looked at the number of Imperial shinobi and samurai. The spy network reported that with the number of White Zetsu Clones combined with the Six Paths of Pain and the remaining members of the Akatsuki participating in this battle, Suna's chances of coming out of this alive were nil.

"The number of Imperial forces here could me one thing," Jiraiya said as they approached the gates. "Either the Emperor or someone on his side is highly-skilled in time-space ninjitsu."

Tsunade nodded. "It seems that way," she said.

With the deaths of Koharu and Honmura, their power and influence had returned to Tsunade. The two elders had always supported the civilian side of the council, and with the both of them gone, the influence civilian side of the council once had was now all but crippled.

"I don't care about these...people," Sasuke snarled, dressed in his ANBU uniform, chokuto slung behind his back. "Itachi is here, and I don't care who stands in my way. I want Itachi's head on a stake."

Had Sasuke and the others were paying attention, they would have noticed a burning pyre that was being tended to by the Imperial troops. Had Sasuke been paying attention, they would have seen the bodies of Kazuku, Konan, Nagato (as his body was recovered from Amegakure) the Six Paths, Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha being fed to the flames.

Asuma Sarutobi approached the gates of the village with apprehension. The reason being was that his former students were working with the Suna guards at the gate, signing in the Pekara caravans as they entered the village. The Ino-Shika-Cho looked just as worn out and battered from the war, but alert and ready for anything.

Naruto had summoned both their team and Cell Gai into a private meeting, warning them of Konoha's impending arrival earlier that day, and told them that Konoha would soon be arriving on Suna's doorstep and of his and Hinata's plans to reveal themselves to their former village. He also told them that if they did not wish to see the impending fight, then they can remain inside the Kazekage tower until the matter is concluded. Cell Nine chose to remain inside, as Neji, Tenten and Rock Lee refused to have any further dealings with Gai. That and both Neji and Rock Lee were still wounded and since the triage centers were full to capacity, Gaara allowed the both of them to recover inside his home.

For Asuma, it had been two years since the last time he had seen his former cell. He believed in Konoha, and that in order for Konoha to be recognized as the strongest of the shinobi villages, then sacrifices must be made. That was why he had supported the banishment of Uzumaki, and the C.R.A. But Konoha's actions had the opposite effect, as it barely held on as one of the five strongest villages.

Ino saw the approaching Konoha shinobi. "Hold it! State your business..." She trailed off when he saw Asuma. "Oh. It's you, Captain Sarutobi."

Asuma winced. His former cell had never forgave him. Still hasn't from the look of things.

"What are you doing here?" Ino demanded. "Last time I checked, Suna and Konoha are on bad terms, regarding that incident," she said, glaring daggers at Sasuke. "You're not welcome here in Suna. Go home."

Tsunade frowned at the blatant disrespect her former student was showing. "We came out of good faith. We came to see Gaara and see if he needs help in repelling the Akatsuki."

"There's no need for that, Lady Hokage," Temari replied as she appeared, looking just as haggard as the Ino-Shika-Cho. "The battle is over. Has been for the past two days."

Tsunade blinked. "So...Suna?"

"Suna still stands," the wind mistress replied. "If it wasn't for the Emperor and his Imperial Forces, we would have been overrun. Sorry you came this way, Senju, but Konoha is still not welcome here, Take your ninja and go."

"Wait." Sasuke stepped forward. "Where is Itachi? Was he here?" he demanded.

"He was," Temari replied. "The Emperor was fighting him."

Without another word, Sasuke stormed forward, ignoring the calls from Tsunade and the others. Sighing, Tsunade turned to Temari. "Can you take us to the Kazekage so we can get a report on what has happened here?"

Temari sighed. "Fine. Just don't alienate the Imperial troops here."

Asuma gave one longing look at his former cell, who was back at work with signing in Pekara merchants, ignoring him completely. His actions in the past regarding Ino and the restoration act had all but destroyed the relationship he once had with them as their sensei.

Kurenai placed one reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Asuma. They made their choice," she said in a soothing tone.

Asuma sighed. "I know. Damn it," he cursed as he followed Kurenai into the village.

Imperial forces patrolled the streets with Suna Shinobi as Tsunade and the others made their way towards the Kazekage tower. Carts filled with dead Zetsu clones were being hauled off to be incinerated by disposal units. "What the hell happened here?" Kakashi asked.

"It started with Sasori and Deidara attempting to kidnap Gaara," Temari began. "But the Emperor and his wife were here on an inspection tour of the Imperial Consulate, and they helped in killing both Akatsuki members. It was then revealed as Deidara laid dying by the Empress Consort's hands that the Akatsuki planned on invading Suna to gain a foothold. One hundred thousand Zetzu clones, created by the Akatsuki as their main attack force, plus their remaining members against Suna's shinobi forces, with four battalions and three special forces units of the Imperial Defense Forces, with the Emperor and Empress Consort leading them alongside my brother. Our combined numbers were eighty thousand to their 100,000."

"One hundred thousand? That's nuts!" Kiba exclaimed. "You guys were outnumbered 2-to-1!"

Temari smiled. "True, but the Emperor and his wife has fought against twice that number when they was uniting the West. I heard that he could bring about victory from defeat. Those rumors turned out to be very true. Those 100,000 clones turned out to be a major disadvantage when in close quarters."

"It's not entirely impossible for a smaller force to defeat a much larger force," Shino noted. "Minato Namikaze decimated Iwa's ninja force by himself in the last Shinobi War."

'And his son just blew his kill record out of the water,' Temari thought. She had heard rumors of the Hirashin in action from Iwa ninja. Seeing it in action, on the other hand, was a completely different story. It was beautiful, but at the same time, very deadly.

"How did the Emperor manage to marshal such a force in such a small amount of time?" Jiraiya asked.

"The Emperor is a master of time-space jutsu," Temari replied, thus confirming both of the Sannin. "To be able to transport four battalions of shinobi and samurai from one continent to another has to be hell on one's chakra reserves."

Reaching the town square, the area was clear of the Zetsu clones. On the opposite end of the square, Tsunade saw him. The Emperor of the Western Empire. The man radiated authority, and was dressed in all black – black flak vest, pants and sandals. The sleeveless haori was also black, but had a red flame pattern on the tail ends and a second symbol which Tsunade could not see clearly. His face was concealed by the black kage-style hat he wore on his head.

The Godaime Hokage nudged Jiraiya. "Is that him?"

Jiraiya nodded. "That's him, all right. The Emperor of the Unified West. Looks like he's heading elsewhere." He summoned Yamato. The Mokouton-wielding ANBU commander was at Jiraiya's side in an instant. "Sir?"

"Follow the Emperor," Jiraiya ordered. "Report anything out of the ordinary to myself or Tsunade."

Yamato nodded and departed from the group. Tsunade gave the order to the others to help out in any way they could while she and Jiraiya went inside to talk to Gaara and the Sand Siblings.

* * *

With Yamato...

The Imperial Consulate was a walled compound two blocks away from the Kazekage Tower. As with the rest of Suna, the compound was damaged in the fighting, but was still livable. The Imperial Representative was Hikaru Shainto, Roh Shainto's uncle and an accomplished shinobi. When the invasion came, he fought alongside his Emperor and Empress Consort, and was wounded during the fight between Hidan and Kazuku. Before Hidan could perform his ritual, it was Sadako Asahina who had made the save as she incinerated the bloodthirsty Jashinist priest-ninja, reducing him to ash.

The Imperial Consulate was also the place where the Jinchuuriki were resting up following the battle of the Sand. The Jinchuuriki - Yugito Nii, Killer Bee, Utakata, Roshi, Han and Fu - had fought valiantly in the battle which lasted for four hours. Even A had gotten in on the action, fighting at his brother's side.

Yamato watched from a safe distance as the Emperor entered the Imperial Consulate, the gates were guarded by Imperial Guards. Yamato saw that the building next door to the complex was not guarded, which was perfect enough for him to sneak in. The building itself was three stories tall, but tall enough for him to look over the compound walls. Yamato took notice of a gaping hole in the wall which would give him a perfect view of the inside of the consulate's courtyard.

The building itself was unguarded, allowing Yamato easy access. Yamato made his way to the third floor and found the jagged hole overlooking the consulate. What he saw surprised him.

'Jiraiya and the Godaime had suspected that the Empire had taken the Jinchuuriki,' he thought. 'Look like they were right. I see Killer Bee, Yugito, Utakata, Fu and those two from Iwa...but no Uzumaki. And who is the redheaded woman with them?'

He watched as the Emperor emerged from the consulate. Almost immediately, the Jinchuuriki and the redheaded woman stood before the Emperor and went down on one knee.

"Money cannot buy the honor which you all have earned through your actions during this conflict," Yamato had heard the Emperor say to the Jinchuuriki and the mystery redhead. "Your actions here in the past several days will forever be remembered, as you have brought much credit upon yourselves and on the Unified Western Empire. As Emperor of the Imperial Nation, I declare you all national treasures of the Empire."

"SIR!" Kurama and the Jinchuuriki barked out in unison.

Having seen enough, Yamato silently left the scene, unaware that he had tripped a hidden seal alerting the Emperor to his presence. In the consulate, Naruto merely smiled.

* * *

With Kurenai and Cell Nine...

When Kiba and Shino had told Kurenai about their visit to Kimon, Kurenai was especially concerned about the description of the Empress Consort. So when they passed a triage center, curiosity had gotten the better of the trio and they walked inside. Several rows of cots were lined up throughout the room, each of them containing either an injured shinobi or samurai as Suna medic-nins, Imperial medic-nins and combat surgeons worked to make sure that they were comfortable. The former cell identified Martsuri instantly, as she was talking with several other Suna medics.

And Kurenai saw her.

It had been six years, but she recognized her former pupil in an instant. Her hair was cut short, but it was in a much different style than she wore as a genin under her command. Kiba saw that she had filled out in all the right places and was trying his hardest not to gawk (or drool) at his one-time crush. Kurenai saw that she was a medic-nin, and her attire had backed that claim; a black shinobi shozoku with a fishnet undershirt, black jounin flak vest. A satchel of medical supplies was strapped to the small of her back along with a pair of curved knives. Kurenai deduced that they were not from the East, but despite the exotic look to them, they were very deadly.

She was talking with several Imperial medics, an air of authority around her. Kurenai felt happy, but at the same time betrayed when Hinata had ran off with Naruto when the banishment orders had came down from the Godaime. In the East, she was a wanted ninja, an A-ranked missing nin in the Bingo Book. But she was an Imperial Medic Ninja, and under the protection of the Unified Western Empire.

"Need help with anything?" a passing combat medic asked. "Are you injured?"

Kurenai quickly responded. "Um...no. Actually, I was wondering if I could speak with that woman over there," she said, pointing to Hinata.

"Sure," the combat medic replied before walking over to Hinata and whispering in her ear. Kurenai watched as Hinata turned and faced her. Hinata did not look the least bit shocked upon seeing her former sensei and teammates again. Thanking the combat medic, Hinata walked over to her former cell. With a flick of her head, she gestured that she wanted to speak with them outside.

Hinata led her former sensei and her former cell out into the Suna night. Stopping once they were outside, Hinata turned and faced Kurenai and the two men (and Akamaru).

"Isn't this something," Hinata said. "Cell Eight, together again."

"Hinata..." Kurenai began, not knowing whether to either be disappointed or proud of her former student. "...you look good."

"Real good," Kiba seconded.

"You can drop the act, Kurenai," Hinata said, folding her arms across her chest.

Kurenai frowned. This reunion had just went south quick. "That's Kurenai-sensei to you, Hinata," she snapped.

"No, because seeing as how you denounced me when I left Konoha with Naruto, I don't see you as my sensei anymore," Hinata rebuked. "What I want to know is this...why did you denounce me?"

Kurenai sighed. She turned away, as she could not look Hinata in the face. "Hinata...what you did to me that day...what you did to all of us...I saw it as a betrayal. Even after I warned you about Uzumaki, that he was nothing but a fox in human skin, you still ran off, abandoned the village when he was banished. When I found out what you did...I saw it as a betrayal." She turned back to face her former student. "So, yes...yes, I denounced you."

"Judging by your tone, you still stand by your decision," Hinata noted. She did not sound surprised. "Did you support the Godaime's decree that Naruto should be banished?"

"I did," Kurenai replied firmly. "We all did. We still believe in that the Godaime and the council did the right thing, Hinata."

"Not everyone, Yuuhi," Hinata said. "My father and my sister...the Ino-Shika-Cho and their children...my cousin and his teammates...they honored the Yondaime's request, something that you, Asuma and the others should have done."

Kurenai's eyes narrowed. Just how much did Hinata know? Realization then crept across her face as she said, "It was you, wasn't it? You talked the Emperor into allowing the clans asylum."

The former heiress nodded before turning to both Kiba and Shino. "I can tell that the both of you think that my husband is a demon in human flesh," she continued. "But he is not."

"You married him?!" Kiba exclaimed. "You married the demon, Hinata? How could you?!"

"Why not?" Hinata replied. "You of all people know I've always admired him back when we were genin. We've been married for three years now. Naruto is not the Nine-Tails in human form. He is the Jinchuuriki - the prison, warden and cell. The cup, but not the water. I met the fox personally and I can honestly say that she is very polite for a bijuu."

Kurenai blinked. 'She? The fox is female?'

"Did you ever wondered why I decided to run when Tsunade banished him?" Hinata asked. "No? I guess I'll come clean and tell you. The clan elders planned on branding me with that damned seal, so my father sent me away with Naruto for my own safety. It was his own way of saying sorry for being such an asshole to me for the past couple of years, as well as protecting me. Out of all the clans in the Leaf, only my father, and the Ino-Shika-Cho honored the Yondaime's final request, and did not see Naruto as a demon."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kiba demanded.

"Everything," Hinata replied. "When Naruto was banished, Tsunade also reversed Sarutobi's law, as I was there that day. Naruto had to be out of Konoha by the end of the day, and out of Fire Country by the end of the week. But she didn't say anthing about his parents, didn't she?"

"What about that demon?" Kiba retorted.

Hinata meanly smiled. "Naruto is not a no-named orphan like most of the village think."

"Hinata...you're on dangerous ground," Kurenai warned.

"Ever notice how Jinchuuriki are related to people in positions of power?" Hinata continued. "Gaara's father was the previous Kazekage. Killer Bee's brother was the former Raikage. Naruto is no different. Tsunade and the council, in their so-called 'infinite wisdom,' banished the son of the Yellow Flash and his wife, the Red Death."

"Hinata!" Kurenai shouted. "That is a SS-class secret! They can't know about that!"

"Well it's a good thing that I'm not under Konoha's authority now, isn't it?" Hinata retorted. "Yes, Naruto is the legitimate son of Minato Namikaze and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, who was the Jinchuuriki to the Nine-Tails at the time. Tsunade and Jiraiya tried to destroy all proof of his existence, but my husband is not known as the unpredictable ninja for nothing. The proof was hidden inside the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing, which was easy for him to steal a second time."

Kurenai, on the other hand, was fuming. She couldn't touch Hinata, as she was not under Konoha's command. The second was that she was an unknown. People change in six years, and judging by the flak vest she wore, Hinata was an experienced Jounin and a highly-skilled medic-nin. And she had spent time in the West...

If only Kurenai knew...

"But the story gets even more interesting," Hinata continued. "Not only Naruto was banished on trumped-up charges, but Tsunade and Jiraiya spearheaded the entire thing. Betrayed by his own godparents. But there's more. Naruto's father was Jiraiya's star student in the sealing arts. Kushina was a surrogate daughter to Tsunade. Naruto has connections to the Senju clan through Hashirama's wife, Mito Uzumaki, who was the first Jinchuuriki to the Nine-Tails."

It was Shino who connected the dots, as he studied Konoha's history. "Mito Uzumaki married Hashirama Senju in order to bring the families closer into an alliance. Tsunade Senju is her granddaughter. From what Tsunade had confirmed, Kushina Uzumaki is her niece..." His eyes widened as what he was about to say died on his lips.

Hinata finished it for him. "Yes, Shino. Tsunade banished her great-nephew."

"Enough!" Kurenai shouted, now furious over the fact that Hinata had broken several of Konoha's darkest secrets. "Enough, Hinata!"

"Or what, Kurenai?" Hinata shot back, not backing down from her former sensei.

"You're still in the Bingo Book for deserting Konoha," the genjutsu mistress replied, preparing to strike. "And you broken the laws regarding Uzumaki's lineage! I wanted to try and reconcile with you, but you leave me no choice!"

"Shinra...TENSEI!"

**CRUNCH.**

Kiba looked around. "What the hell was that?!" Kiba half-shouted, looking around.

"More than likely, the Uchiha pissing off the Emperor," Hinata replied casually. "And he is not as forgiving as most people think."

Kurenai's eyes went wide like dinner plates. "That stupid boy!" she shouted, her problems with Hinata forgotten. "Kiba! Shino! On me! We got to stop Sasuke!"

As Cell Eight bolted off to stop Sasuke from igniting a war between the Empire and the Leaf, Hinata merely smiled. 'So...it begins,' she thought.

* * *

With Kakashi, Asuma and Gai...

While Kurenai had a reunion of her own, Kakashi decided to check out the town. Asuma and Gai - having given up on trying to find his former students - decided to tag along. Sasuke had ran on ahead in order to confront the Emperor, and given the fact that the Emperor and his wife were highly-skilled warriors who could kill his former student in more ways than he could out, Sasuke could end up bringing a war onto Konoha's doorstep.

While looking for Sasuke, they entered a section of Suna in which the presence of Imperial troops was more heavy than what they usually see. It soon became clear why to the trio of Jounin. Before long, they were stopped by three Imperial shinobi. Kakashi saw that they were high Jounin level, which could mean trouble for them.

"Whoa, whoa. Stop right there," the senior Imperial Jounin said as several more shinobi kept their distance, but was more than ready to swarm the trio just in case. "This is a restricted area, you can't pass here."

"We're from Konohagakure," Asuma replied, using diplomacy. "We're here to offer any form of assistance if needed."

"Thanks for the offer," the Imperial Jounin replied, "but we got everything covered here."

"You're guarding something..." Asuma said. "Or rather...someone."

"You're smarter than you look," the Imperial Jounin replied. "We got a survivor from the Akatsuki - the leader himself - under guard. Given as to what he can do, the Chief and his wife aren't taking any chances. Guy's a SS-class threat."

That caught the Konoha trio's attention. The Empire had captured the head of the Akatsuki? Just how powerful is the Emperor, as he was able to do what Konoha and the rest of the Elemental Countries had failed to do, which was destroy the Akatsuki.

"I take it he didn't surrender willingly," Kakashi said.

"Nope. One of the Chief's senior advisers had the honor of taking him down," the Imperial Jounin said. "The Lady had the honor of killing the mad bomber from Iwa earlier, while the Chief took out that one member with the real freaky red eyes. Now that I think about it, the Akatsuki head's eye was the same as the other guy's."

Now that caught the trio's attention. The leader of the Akatsuki had the Sharingan?

Feeling a sense of dread in his gut, Kakashi asked the question that was on his mind. "What is the leader's name?" he asked.

The Imperial Jounin turned to one of his comrades. "Hey, Ko! What's that guy's name? The one that Lady Kurama captured?" he asked.

The one named Ko replied, "It's...Uchiha. His name is Obito Uchiha."

Kakashi's eye went wide as he looked like had been given the Thousand Years of Death. Even Asuma and Gai was concerned. Obito - who had thought to had died in the last Shinobi War - was the head of the Akatsuki?

'No...it can't be! Obito's dead!' Kakashi's mind screamed.

"What are his crimes?" Asuma asked, pushing down his emotions.

"Crimes against the Imperial Nation and her allies," the Imperial Jounin said, "and crimes against the Emperor of the Western Empire. Both carry an instant death sentence."

"What crimes against the Emperor?" Asuma asked.

"The murder of his parents," the Imperial Jounin replied.

"We need to confirm that Obito Uchiha is indeed the head of the Akatsuki so we can file it in our reports to the Hokage and the Konoha Council," Asuma said. "Can you take us to him?"

"We can," the Imperial Jounin replied, "But this is your first and only warning: if you try to aid and abet the Uchiha in any shape, form or fashion, you three will be leaving Suna in a box."

The Konoha trio nodded and they were led - under heavy guard - to where Obito was being held.

&^%

The building in which housed the fallen Uchiha belonged to a Suna merchant who had evacuated the village along with the rest of the Suna civilians. A one-story storage shed, it was now an impromptu jail cell which held one of the most dangerous man in the Elemental Countries. Outside the house, a squad of Imperial shinobi - members of Zabuza's Demon Brigade - stood guard, weapons drawn, watching the Konoha Shinobi like a hawk.

Inside the single room, were four more shinobi, also of the Demon Brigade. And seated in the center of the room, was the former teammate of Kakashi Hatake, the now-former leader of the Akatsuki, Obito Uchiha.

The broken man was seated in a chair, the Rinnegan which he had stolen from Nagato before invading Konoha was removed from his left eye, albeit forcibly at the hands of Kurama. Chakra-suppression cuffs were on his hands and even his legs. A series of seals were on his back, which had sealed off his chakra, drained him of his strength and rendered his Sharingan unusable. Overkill, yes, but the Emperor was not one to take any chances.

Obito was alone with his thoughts, his remaining eye closed when he heard someone call out his name.

"Obito? Obito is that you?"

"Now there is a voice I haven't heard in years," Obito said as opened his eye. Kakashi, Asuma and Gai stood before him. "Kakashi Hatake. Asuma Sarutobi. Maito Gai."

"So it's true," Gai said. "We all thought you were dead."

"Reports of my death were exaggerated, to say the least," Obito replied. "Of course, that brat of an Emperor will soon rectify that little matter soon."

"Obito...why?" Kakashi asked. "Why are you the leader of the Akatsuki? Why didn't you come back home? How did you survive with half of your body being crushed?"

"I survived because of one man who was thought to have died," Obito replied. "I survived because of Madara Uchiha."

"Madara?" Asuma repeated. "He should have died years ago. He's even older than Onoki."

"Since I have a death sentence on my head, I might as well tell you the story," Obito said calmly. And he told them of how Madara survived all these years using Hashirama Senju's DNA and had awakened the Rinnegan, of which he had implanted into Nagato without him knowing, and replaced his eyes with a spare Sharingan. He told them that through the Demonic Outer Path Statue - which had kept him alive for all this time, that he created a living clone of the First Hokage - of which was now destroyed by the Emperor having sent his forces to level his hideout, and that the

Emperor had resealed the Demonic Statue and banished it from this plane.

"I acted at his behest," Obito concluded. "And I did it willingly, per to his final wishes."

"Why?" Kakashi demanded, while Gai muttered something about 'un-youthful.'

"I wanted to return to Konoha at first," Obito said. "But Madara said that would be impossible, as I owed him my life. The crushed parts of my body were reconstructed with Hashirama's cells. While I was recovering and learning how to use my new limbs, I found out through Zetsu that both you and Rin were being attacked by Mist shinobi. I came to the site...and watched as you shoved a Chidori into Rin's chest."

Kakashi winced.

"You killed Rin," Obito deadpanned. "And I killed the Kiri shinobi when they tried to take her body. It was then, I realized that what Madara was telling me was indeed true. Our reality is indeed worthless and it should be destroyed. In its place would be a new reality. One where there would be no war, no pain and no suffering. Madara told me about the Moon Eye Plan. By retrieving the bijuu and merging them with the Demonic Statue, the Ten-Tailed Beast would be revived, with myself as its Jinchuuriki. I would use the power of the Ten-Tails to reflect the Magenkyou onto the moon and place the world under an Infinite Tsukyomi. That fool Nagato truly believed that we were making a weapon powerful enough to force the Elemental Countries to make peace."

"You tried to make the world in your own image," Asuma said. "By robbing it of its free will."

"Call it what you want, Sarutobi," Obito snapped. "All I wanted was to end this world of lies. Sacrifices had been made...my clan, which I helped Itachi to destroy...Sensei and his wife...I still had the utmost respect for Minato, but he was so honorable to the end, even when I unleashed the Nine-Tails upon Konoha, as he sealed it inside his son."

Asuma's eyes went wide. "It was you...you caused the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha. All those people...the Yondaime and his wife...my mother...dead because of you..." He was itching to kill the traitor himself.

"But now...it's over," Obito said, shoulders slumping. "Madara will forever weep in the afterlife knowing that his plans will not take place. The Emperor of the West has retrieved the remaining Jinchuuriki and offered them asylum within his Empire. To be beaten by a little brat..."

"We're done here," Asuma said to the Imperial Jounin who had escorted the three of them here. "I hope you die slowly, Uchiha," he snarled as he and the other two turned on their heels and began to walk to the door.

"Hatake."

Kakashi stopped in mid-step. He turned around.

"Come closer," Obito said. "There's something else you need to know."

Wary, Kakashi walked back to Obito, who motioned for him to come even closer so that he could whisper into Kakashi's ear. Kakashi complied, and Obito told him the final piece of information he had. Something which had rocked even Kakashi to the core.

With that, Obito went silent. He would remain silent until the Emperor himself executed him.

Upon being escorted out of Obito's impromptu cell, Kakashi had been whispering to himself, "It can't be...impossible..."

"What is it?" Asuma demanded. "What did Obito tell you?"

"He...he told me the identity of the Emperor," Kakashi confirmed. "The Emperor is..."

"Shinra...TENSEI!"

**CRUNCH.**

Asuma, Gai and Kakashi turned to the direction of the explosion. "What the hell?" Asuma wondered as they sped towards the source of the explosion.

On the way, they ran into Kurenai and Cell Eight. Kurenai said one thing which had them on edge. "We have to stop Sasuke! He's fighting the Emperor now!"

Asuma nodded and they rushed off to stop the Uchiha from getting himself killed. As they ran to stop Sasuke, Obito's final words rang in Kakashi's mind.

"_The Emperor is Minato-sensei's son – the student who you had forsaken. The Emperor is Naruto Uzumaki."_

* * *

With Tsunade, Sakura and Jiraiya...

Flanked by Kankurou and Temari, the Kazekage of Suna looked at his Konoha counterpart with great disdain. Both Sakura Haruno and Jiraiya were flanking the Godaime Hokage. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Last time I checked, we terminated the alliance with Konoha."

"We came to offer any assistance in any way," Tsunade explained. "But from the look of things, you already have everything under control."

Gaara nodded. "The battle has been over for nearly a week. The Akatsuki has been completely destroyed. Its leader has been captured by the Empire and will be executed for his crimes. The Elemental Countries can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the Akatsuki is no more."

"Can we have a report on the battle?" Jiraiya asked.

"One has been sent to the Fire Damiyo," Kankuro said. "You should be getting a copy from him in a matter of days."

"You just did not show up because you wanted to join in on the battle," Gaara said. "What do you want?"

"To speak with the Emperor, and try to smooth over some of the lies he has heard," Sakura said. "Some of which were spread by you and your village."

Tsunade shot her pupil a nasty glare. "Look...we came here to help out, to try and repair our alliance," she explained. "It's clear that even without the Empire backing you, that Suna is on the fast track to usurping the Leaf as being the strongest of the villages, while Kazahana's shinobi village will knock us off as one of the five main villages."

"So you want to try and get back on my good side, is that it?" Gaara asked, just as Yamato entered the room. While Yamato spoke with the two Sannin and Sakura, a Suna jounin appeared via shunshin and whispered into Gaara's own ear. While Gaara looked amused, Sakura and the two Sannin looked very angry.

"When were you going to tell us that the Empire had retrieved the Jinchuuriki and used them to fight in this war?" Tsunade demanded.

"Wasn't my place to say it," Gaara replied. "The Emperor convinced them to fight in this was against the Akatsuki. The Akatsuki were looking for the power of the Jinchuuriki, and the Emperor gave it to them...although they were on the receiving end of it."

"If the rest of those demons were here," Sakura began, "then Uzumaki was here as well."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. In the far corner, the gourd which carried Gaara's reserve sand shook slightly, right before the cork popped out. "Senju, please get your student under control, or else the next words out of my mouth will be 'Sand Coffin.'"

Tsunade threw a glare to Sakura which told her to shut up.

Gaara continued. "Yes, Uzumaki is here, but he is in the employ of the Western Empire, and thus, out of your jurisdiction. However, I would be more concerned about the leader of the Akatsuki which the Empire has captured. In fact, the Emperor has been privy to the identity of the Akatsuki chief for quite a while now." He leaned back in his chair. "Tell me...does the name Obito Uchiha ring any bells?"

That got a reaction from Tsunade, but from more importantly, Jiraiya. "Obito was Minato's student. We all thought that he had died in the last Shinobi War. I thought that..."

"...that Nagato was the head of the Akatsuki?" Gaara said. "Far from it. The Empire's information network is very thorough, even more so than yours. However, I would be more concerned about Konoha's golden boy picking a fight with the Emperor."

Realization crept across the Sannin's faces, just as...

"Shinra...TENSEI!"

**CRUNCH.**

"Damn that Uchiha!" Tsunade shouted, turning on her heels and bolting out of the room, Jiraiya and Sakura following her.

Behind his desk, Gaara merely smiled. "This is going to be one hell of a family reunion," he mused.

* * *

Minutes earlier, at the Imperial Consulate...

Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze looked at Kurama and the assembled Jinchuuriki that knelt before him. He could not be any more prouder of not only his forces, but of the Jinchuuriki and the role they played in the destruction of the Akatsuki.

"Money cannot buy the honor which you all have earned here through your actions during this conflict," Naruto began, once again masking his voice. He also knew that Yamato was watching, as he had triggered the seals he had placed inside the neighboring building. "Your actions here in the past several days will forever be remembered, as you have brought much credit upon yourselves and on the Unified Western Empire. As Emperor of the Imperial Nation, I declare you all national treasures of the Empire."

"SIR!" Kurama and the Jinchuuriki barked out in unison.

Had Yamato remained inside his hidey-hole for another fifteen seconds, he would have seen Sasuke Uchiha forced his way inside the Imperial Consulate. The Imperial soldiers inside drew their weapons, but the Emperor ordered them to stay their hand. Not really caring that the Emperor had the Jinchuuriki, Sasuke stormed across the courtyard, Sharingan ablaze.

"Where is he?! Where is he?!" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto looked amused. "You again, Uchiha?"

"Where...is...my brother?!" Sasuke demanded. "I know he was here! They said that he was fighting you!"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "People say plenty of things. I could have either been fighting either your brother, or his walking sushi plate of a partner. Maybe I was fighting the insane Jashinist and his miserly partner. You never know. This is your first and only warning, little man. Leave now or else I will not be held responsible for what happens if you refuse."

"Damn you!" Sasuke shouted as he unsheathed his chokouto. Lighting began to dance along the blade as Sasuke charged.

"Big mistake," Fu muttered as she and the other Jinchuuriki quickly got out of the way.

Naruto's eyes shimmered into the Rinnegan as he raised one hand. "Shinra..."

"This is going to hurt," A muttered to himself.

"...TENSEI!"

Sasuke felt an invisible force lift him off his feet and sent him crashing through the compound wall before landing amongst the debris from the battle and from the remains of the compound wall. Naruto did not give him a chance to recover, as he hopped through the gaping hole in the wall and with an Uppercut From Hell to the jaw, propelled Sasuke into the air. As Sasuke fell back to the ground, Naruto kicked him hard in the chest...

...only to find out that he had kicked a log in two.

'So he's finally learned something,' Naruto thought as Sasuke appeared from behind, chokuto in hand, ready to impale him. Smirking, Naruto executed the Flash Step. Derived from his father's signature Hiraishin, Naruto moved fast enough for him to leave an afterimage, of which Sasuke found out the hard way when his blade slashed through Naruto's afterimage.

Flashing through several handseals, Naruto unleashed his jutsu. "Wind Release...Deadly Tempest!"

Having seen Temari's signature Kamitachi in action, Naruto had created a jutsu using Gaara's fan-wielding sister as his inspiration. The Deadly Tempest was an A-ranked jutsu which blasted the opponent with hurricane-force winds. Depending on which type of element he was using at the time, the Deadly Tempest had several interesting effects. If he combined the jutsu with his Fire affinity, then the person on the receiving end would suffer third-degree burns. The Wind affinity was the opposite. It supercooled the air, making the person not only numb, but it slowly drained their chakra.

Sasuke was hit with the latter. The powerful winds crashed into the Uchiha prince's body, once again lifting him up into the air and sending him into the general direction of Suna's village square, Sasuke cursing the Emperor as he was sent flying. The last Uchiha crashed into the town square, just as Tsunade, Jiraiya, Yamato and Sakura came charging out of the Kazekage Tower, while Kakashi, Asuma and Gai emerged from a side street, following their conversation with Obito Uchiha, and Cell Eight came from around the corner following their confrontation with Hinata.

Naruto calmly walked into the square as Sasuke tried to get back to a vertical base. Meanwhile, the Imperial forces had blocked off the Konoha shinobi's escape route, effectively separating the Sannin, the Jounin and the remnants of Konoha 11 from the majority of the Konoha jounin that were still outside of Suna, creating an impromptu arena.

"Silly little Uchiha who thinks he is a match for me," Naruto mused.

Sasuke coughed up a wad of blood and spit it out. "Shut up!" he snarled. "Where is Itachi?!"

"Itachi...so your brother has a name," Naruto said, one hand going into his pocket. He pulled out the item he knew that would set Sasuke over the edge and tossed it to his former teammate, where it landed at his feet.

Sasuke looked down and his eyes went wide. With a trembling hand, he reached down and picked up the item. An item he recognized instantly, as it had something to do with his brother.

The item in question was Itachi's Akatsuki ring.

"Correction: he **had** a name," Naruto said.

Sasuke began to tremble as the full totality of what the Emperor was saying had struck him with full force.

"In case you fail to realize, Uchiha," Naruto continued, "your brother is dead. His body, along with what remains of the Akatsuki, is being burned outside of the village walls."

Sasuke looked at the ring. Then back at the Emperor. The Magenkyou began to spin rapidly as the Cursed Seal reactivated, thus breaking through the seals Jiraiya had placed on him years earlier that was designed to nullify the Cursed Seal's influence. Itachi was dead. The Emperor did the one thing that he could not, which was to kill him. His family would be unavenged. He was indeed (albeit he did not know of Obito's existence), the last Uchiha.

Flame-like patterns began to appear on Sasuke as the Cursed Seal began to make him stronger. Black flame patterns began to appear, spreading from Sasuke's shoulder, to one side of his face and down his arm, ending at his hand, which was currently charging a second Chidori.

"Oops," Naruto taunted. "Did I say something wrong?"

"You...YOU BASTARD!" Sasuke bellowed as he charged, the now-freed Cursed Seal giving him a boost in speed. "DIE!"

"Sasuke, no!" Jiraiya and Tsunade shouted.

Instead of using the Flash Step, Naruto spun to the side, the Kage-style hat falling off his head as Sasuke passed him, missing where his head was at just moments earlier, and prepared his own counterattack. One that anyone who knew the Yondaime recognized almost instantly.

"Sasuke! DON'T!" Kakashi shouted, just as Sasuke spun to face the Emperor. "The Emperor is..."

"RASENGAN!"


	7. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Snafu's Notes: I was going to be mean and post this after the New Year, but decided against it. This will be the last chapter I will post for this year. I hope that VFSNAKE does not mind, as there is a reference from his fanfic **Hollow Inari** in this chapter (and several others – see if you can find them). Also, I had to rewrite this chapter in order to include a fight between Zabuza and Kakashi. In the years following his duel on Wave, Zabuza has picked up some new tricks in his swordplay. Think Zabuza fighting like Nightmare in Soulcalibur 5. Also, someone from Konoha dies in this chapter...but who?

_Standin' in the Heart of Darkness, Give me my life, give me my energy_

_Fightin' in the Heart of Madness, Ease my pain, ease my loneliness_

- Komodo Band, Heart of Darkness

"RASENGAN!"

The melon-sized orb of concentrated chakra had obliterated Sasuke's ANBU armor, leaving him naked from the waist up, and had once again sent him flying. The Uchiha prince landed on his back, the mind-numbing effects of sustaining the Deadly Tempest earlier had sapped the tainted chakra from Orochimaru's cursed seal, causing the black flames to dissipate off of Sasuke's body.

You could literally hear a pin drop as Naruto rose to his full height, Hinata moving to his side. To those from Konoha who knew Minato Namikaze, it was as if he was standing before them, save that he was now a redhead and he wore a haori instead of a trench coat. But he was anything but.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted, seeing her husband-to-be being sledgehammered back by her former teammate. The pink-head turned her attention towards Naruto. Instantly, she saw red. On gloved hand balled into a fist, she let out a feral scream and charged at Naruto.

"Sakura, NO!" Tsunade shouted, holding her student back.

"Let me go, Tsunade!" Sakura shouted. "Look what he did to Sasuke!"

Rinnegan activated, Naruto looked at the gathered Konoha shinobi. His earlier visit to Konoha showed that they were not under Danzou's genjutsu, meaning that their hatred for them was indeed genuine. Which was good in Naruto's case, meaning that the gloves were now off.

Naruto deactivated the Rinnegan. "Well, isn't this the reunion," he said, looking at his former teammates. "Although we are now on opposite sides." Tossing a glance to his wife, he said, "And here, I thought they would be happy to see us."

Hinata gave him a dry grin. "I think not," she said.

From his place on the ground, Sasuke managed to get out, "Dobe...the Emperor...you?!"

"It's true," Kakashi said, raising his hitai-ate, exposing the Sharingan. Naruto saw that it was the Magenkyou. "Obito confirmed it. Uzumaki is the Emperor of the West."

It was then that the Sannin and to the shinobi who had went to the West began to connect the dots, as the full totality of what was now revealed to them. Naruto Uzumaki was the descendant of the Six Paths Sage. Naruto Uzumaki wielded the Rinnegan. **Naruto Uzumaki was the** **Emperor of the Western Empire**.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, as did Jiraiya's. Up until Jiraiya's return from the Western Empire, the West was the last place that Naruto would have ended up in. Now, he was back, and seeing as how they screwed him over, was an even bigger threat to Konoha than Orochimaru, Kumo and Iwa combined.

"How did a dead last like you become the Emperor of the West?" Asuma demanded.

"You can thank your father and those two idiots," Naruto said, referring to Jiraiya and Tsunade. "Your father tried to stunt my growth. When that failed, Tsunade and Jiraiya banished me, and tried to kill me by sending hunter ninja after Hinata and myself." He pulled out a Hiraishin kunai and begun to spin it from the ring on one finger. Unlike his father's tri-bladed Hiraishin kunai, these were of Naruto's design. Black carbon steel, with the Hiraishin seals carved onto the blade itself (think Lee Christmas' throwing kunai).

"I should have had you executed," Tsunade seethed. "Damn it, I should have killed you the moment that you arrived with Jiraiya."

"Now that's no way to treat your godson...or rather, your great-nephew," Naruto replied. "How would my parents think about the both of you breaking your promise to look after me after they died. If you want the true culprit of the Nine Tails' attack on Konoha, it's Obito himself. Besides, you kill me, the Nine Tails will kill you in retaliation."

"You are no son of Minato and Kushina," Jiraiya shot back. "You killed them! You are just a demon in human skin!"

Naruto chuckled, sending chills down the Sannin's - and everyone else's - spines. "You really should reign in your temper, Pervy Sage," he replied. "I could had you and the others killed back in Kimon and your heads sent back to Konoha. But you should be glad that I decided to cut some time for this little reunion." He began to leak potent killer intent as he continued to speak, addressing the Sannin. "I'm sensing plenty of bad blood between the three of us. The memories are overwhelming, to tell you the truth. How many crimes have you committed against me and my family?"

Naruto began to count off their crimes on his fingers. "First off...you went along with Sarutobi's scheme to make me into a weapon, instead of following my father's final wishes of having me seen as a hero. And what else? What else?! Oh, that's right...the both of you and nearly all of Konohagakure no Sato favored a potential traitor and banished me for doing my job." His gaze fell upon Tsunade and Jiraiya. "But the biggest crimes of all came from you two. You betrayed me, and by extension, betrayed my parents."

"Betray?" Jiraiya repeated. "Betray? You're wrong, Naruto. We didn't betrayed Minato and Kushina. We **honored** them! Every single day you suffered growing up in the Leaf, that was to honor their sacrifice they made in allowing you to live! You were nothing more than a mistake! An accident! Sensei lost his wife, I lost Minato and Tsunade lost her niece. You were a living reminder of what we had lost! For that, you had to pay."

"Funny, because I met them a couple of years back. You see, as a fail-safe, they left a portion of their souls inside the seal as a last resort should I reach eight-tails or decide to break the seal," Naruto retorted. He grinned evilly. "They know about your crimes against me. They wanted to tell you that the both of you are in deep shit."

"You lie!" Tsunade shouted.

"I never lie, hag, not when it comes to family or about my skills," Naruto replied. "Whether you believe if or not is no consequence to me. The both of you betrayed my parents by choosing the Leaf over my parents."

"You are not the son of the Yondaime, Demon!" an ANBU wearing a hawk mask, who had not been separated from the others, shouted.

**THUNK.**

A kunai pierced the porcelain skull. Blood spurted out from the wound as the man fell over, dead before he had hit the ground. Kurenai looked at her former student in horror, as it was Hinata who had tossed the kunai. The Empress Consort reached behind her back and retrieved her dual kukri knives, readying herself for the battle that was to come.

"Nice shot," Naruto complimented his wife. He cracked his knuckles as the Imperial forces backed off, taking to the roofs, as they knew that this battle was going to be very wild. "Don't worry about my soldiers who are surrounding you. They will not interfere in our little 'reunion.'"

"You have got to be out of your mind to think that the both of you can win against us," Jiraiya said. "A banished genin and a missing nin against two of the Sannin and the best shinobi that Konoha has to offer?"

"You forget who I am, Jiraiya," Naruto replied as he activated the Rinnegan. "I am the unpredictable shinobi of Konoha. Oh, wait. I am not a shinobi of Konoha. Tsunade saw to that."

He snapped his fingers and a shadow clone appeared. It was of Naruto, but it was anything but. As the direct descendant of the Six Paths Sage, Naruto wielded the Rinnegan, having unlocked it at the Valley of the End during his fight with Sasuke Uchiha. In his years in the West, Naruto had honed his skills under Kurama's tutelage. One signature jutsu of anyone using the Rinnegan was called the Six Paths Jutsu. In truth, there were seven paths, the seventh being the Outer Path. Naruto, however preferred using the other six paths, as the Outer Path pertained to life and death itself.

Nagato had derived his own jutsu, the Six Paths of Pain from the original jutsu. Naruto was no different. Unlike Nagato, who used bodies and chakra receivers for his Jutsu, Naruto preferred reinforced Shadow Clones. Unlike his standard kage bushin, these were reinforced, and would not dissipate when struck hard enough. They would only disperse upon Naruto's command. Naruto called his own variant of the Six Paths Jutsu the Wrath of the Six Paths. Naruto himself used the Deva Path, incorporating it into his fighting style.

The clone looked scary, even for the shinobi from Konoha. The reddish-blond hair was spiked upwards. Dark markings were on his face, eyes, chest and arms. He was naked from the waist up, showing off a muscular body. He wore a tattered black hakama with a red flame pattern. A pair of greaves were on his shins, although one was covered by the hakama, while the other leg had tucked into the greave itself. Last his arms had a metallic look to them, as if they were made of an indestructible metal. This was the strongest of Naruto's paths, the Asura Path.

Sasuke got back to his feet...and fell back to his knees. Whatever Naruto had hit him with had drained him of his chakra. "Dobe...you killed Itachi. You took my rightful vengeance from me!"

Naruto responded by making a 'blah-blah' gesture with his hand.

"I will make you beg for mercy! Then I will take your throne...and your wife!" the Uchiha finished, looking at Hinata. He had not forgotten that she nearly chopped off his balls back in Kimon. But from the look of things, she appeared to be even stronger than Sakura.

'The Dobe will pay,' Sasuke thought darkly. 'Then I will take his wife as my prize. She will pay for what she tried to do to me.'

"Yawn. You couldn't beat me at the Valley of the End. You couldn't beat me in Tea Country. Right now, I'm 2-and-0 against you," Naruto replied. To the summoned path, he gave its marching orders. "Keep Hatake, Sarutobi, Gai and Yamato occupied. The Sannin are mine. The ANBU are expendable."

"SIR!" Asura Naruto barked out and prepared to fight.

Tsunade cracked her knuckles. "I am going to enjoy humiliating you in front of your men," she said.

"You can try," Naruto retorted. "I'm not the same Naruto Uzumaki you banished."

Before anyone could make a move, however a massive broadsword landed in between the group from Konoha and the Emperor and his wife, blade-first. Kakashi's eyes went even wider in horror as he recognized the blade, as did Sasuke and Sakura.

The Kubikiribocho. The Head-Chopping Cleaver.

And its owner stepped into view, standing behind Naruto and Hinata. One thought to have died while in Wave Country.

"Well, well, well," Zabuza drawled. "If it isn't 'Copycat Hatake.' I must have done something good in the past. Today is my lucky day."

"You...you should be dead!" Sakura screeched.

"And yet, here I am," Zabuza said. He then addressed Naruto and Hinata. "Far be it from me to interfere with both you and the missus's problems regarding Konoha, but Hatake and I have unfinished business...and I've come to play, Chief."

Naruto knew what he wanted. Zabuza wanted Kakashi's head. Naruto had no problem with that, since he already beaten the crap out of his former sensei back in Tea Country. Naruto had promised that Zabuza could kill his former sensei and he was a man of his word. "He's all yours, Zabuza," Naruto said.

The Demon of Kimon grinned underneath his bandages as he strode forward and retrieved his sword.

"Stay out of this," Kakashi said as he pulled out a pair of chakra sabres, modeled after the White Light Chakra Sabre that both his father and himself once carried. "This is my fight."

"GET THEM!" Tsunade ordered.

With that, what would become the Konoha-Imperial Conflict has begun.

* * *

With Naruto...

Jiraiya and Tsunade Senju were two of the three Legendary Sannin, the former students of Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was the Mountain Toad Sage, Konoha's resident spymaster, self-proclaimed super-pervert and the trainer of Minato Namikaze, Konoha's Yellow Flash. She was the Slug Princess, granddaughter and great-niece of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, a legendary medic-nin and healer, and one of the best kunoichi in the Elemental Countries, the third Senju to assume to post of Hokage.

Their opponent was their godson - Tsunade's great-nephew, as Kushina Uzumaki was her niece. They had the chance to choose family over the village, the chance to honor Minato and Kushina's final request. In the end, they decided to follow the whims of their former sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi in his plans to make Naruto Konoha's weapon. In the end, they decided to forsake their godson.

And he was not happy. To say that their former godson was not very happy was saying that Water Country is a little wet.

He was the son of the village hero and his wife - Konoha's Yellow Flash and Uzushiogakure's princess, also known as the Red Death. He was the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox, the dead last who they had banished when it became clear that not only did Sarutobi's plans to condition him had failed, but the fact that he could not be controlled.

Fate sure had a way to bite someone on the ass. Sasuke Uchiha had attempted to flee from Konoha, believing that the village was not helping him in his quest to kill Itachi. Naruto had been banished and later marked for death because he was viewed as a threat to the Leaf, Tsunade and the council using the convenient excuse of using excessive force.

While Sasuke trained under Danzou, Naruto (and Hinata) had participated in a war which united the West under his rule seven years earlier. While Sasuke gained the Magenkyou, Naruto had the most powerful of bloodlines, the Rinnegan. While Sasuke had everything given to him, Naruto had worked and fought long and hard for everything he had. The Emperor of the West faced off against the two remaining Sannin. Jiraiya and Tsunade assumed that if the hunter-nin did not kill Naruto, then he would die without Konoha's protection.

There was no love lost between Naruto and the two Sannin, and he made that point known by making the first move, forcing both Tsunade and Jiraiya on the offensive. In a burst of speed, the genin-turned-Emperor was upon the two elder shinobi, punching and kicking. Naruto could have went for an easy win, but chose not to. He wanted to do this up close and personal.

Tsunade and Jiraiya found out the hard way that this was not the same brat they had banished seven years earlier. Far from it, Naruto was not holding back, as he tagged both Jiraiya and Tsunade with several brutal shots. Sonshi had tutored Naruto not only in the art of combat, but in the art of tactics as well, which is why he was holding his own against the two Sannin.

"Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster," Sonshi had told him during his days as a warlord in the Unification Wars.

Naruto knew how Tsunade and Jiraiya had fought. Tsunade had her super-strength and the Slug Contract, while Jiraiya had the backing of the Toads and Sage Mode. While the seals he had drawn up had done its job of nullifying the summoning jutsus (as well as his own), Naruto still had to contend with their other abilities.

Sidestepping a Rasengan from Jiraiya, Naruto grabbed a handful of Jiraiya's hair and slammed him to the ground. Raising one foot to stomp the Toad Sage's head into a fine paste, he failed to notice Tsunade coming in from behind, preparing to cave in Naruto's head with a chakra-powered punch to the skull.

Imagine her surprise that it was not Naruto's head she destroyed, but rather a wooden log. Naruto had avoided the blow, and had reappeared behind the Godaime.

"Banshou Ten'in!"

Tsunade felt herself being lifted off her feet and flung backwards towards Naruto, who caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Using the momentum from the Banshou Ten'in, he arched his body backwards, planting Tsunade head-first into the ground via a vicious belly-to-back waist lock suplex (i.e., a German Suplex). Getting back to a vertical base, Naruto began to punch Tsunade in the face repeatedly. After the first two blows, Tsunade managed to get her hands up in order to block her face from Naruto's onslaught of overhead punches.

A battle cry from overhead had drawn Naruto's attention from his attempts to punch in the Godaime's face. Looking up, he saw that Sasuke has now recovered. Chokuto in hand, he was looking to impale his former teammate. Naruto got out of the way, while Tsunade rolled out of the way, lest she wound find herself impaled on Sasuke's weapon.

Naruto faced off against the Uchiha prince. Magenkyou spinning, Sasuke went on the offensive. Naruto pulled out a black Hiraishin kunai and parried and deflected the attacks from the Uchiha. A backhand followed by a double open-palm strike to the breadbasket forced Sasuke back to the ground, just as Naruto's senses went haywire.

Spinning around, he saw Tsunade lifted an overturned pillar, twice as big as he was in her hands, showing off her super strength. With a yell, she heaved it towards Naruto. The Emperor of the West responded by jumping up, running across the pillar before leaping off and kicking the Godaime in the side of her head, knocking her down.

Turning back towards Sasuke, he saw Jiraiya charging in instead, headbutting Naruto, forcing him back. At the same time, Sasuke, now on his feet, tried to outflank him from behind. Naruto saw him, grabbed the last Uchiha and used him as a shield as Jiraiya tried to punch him. Instead, the super-pervert nailed Sasuke right in the skull. Naruto knocked Jiraiya away and flung Sasuke into Tsunade.

Pulling out a scroll, Naruto opened it, stained some of his blood on it, thus activating the scroll. As Sasuke saw from his place on the ground, it was a storage scroll which contained Naruto's signature weapon - the O-katana (think Vergil's Yamato from Devil May Cry). The O-katana he wielded was forged from the metal found inside a meteorite, the blade considered to be indestructible and incredibly sharp, as well as highly adaptable to chakra. Naruto had found it while returning from a campaign in the north. The sword was hidden inside a cave inside the Lahja Mountains.

That and over four hundred cases full of gold bars, which he used to fund his campaign of unification, and later used it to build the Empire.

Sasuke looked at the sword and retrieved his own chokouto. "Nice sword," he said. "I'll take that off your hands as well. You are not worthy of having such a weapon in your possession. It would be better suited for me, Dobe."

Naruto unsheathed his weapon. "You are not worthy of this blade, Uchiha. The sword recognizes me as its master. It will reject you."

Jiraiya, now recovered, saw that Naruto was distracted with Sasuke and activated Sage Mode. Drawing upon his senjutsu, he created an Odama Rasengan. With Sage Mode activated, it gave him a boost in speed, of which he used to charge at Naruto from behind.

Naruto smirked as he sensed Jiraiya's attempt to kill him with his father's signature move. Not breaking eye contact with Sasuke, he uttered the words, "Imperial Style: Flash Step."

Even with the Sharingan active, Sasuke could not follow Naruto's movements (or copy the technique), as he moved incredibly fast, as Jiraiya found out the hard way. Instead of impaling Naruto, Jiraiya found that his Rasengan had went through an after-image of his former godson.

Naruto emerged out of the technique, on Jiraiya's side, sword raised over his head, his intentions made clear.

**SLASH!**

**THUMP.**

Jiraiya's outstretched arm fell to the ground, the Odama Rasengan dispelling, its chakra depleted. Jiraiya's shock was short-lived, as Naruto kicked him in the breadbasket, knocking him back, blood erupting out of his stump like a geyser. Sasuke stood there, shock evident on his face as his brain processed what Naruto had done.

"JIRAIYA!" Tsunade shouted, having witnessed the amputation of the super-pervert's arm by Naruto. Her face twisted into rage, she jumped to her feet, ready to attack yet again before Naruto stopped her.

"Ah-ah-ah, Senju. I would be more worried about your teammate rather than me," Naruto said, looking at Jiraiya. "He's starting to go into shock from the blood loss. I'd give him ten, twenty minutes tops before he bleeds out without any treatment," he said in a casual tone as if he was discussing the weather. "So what's it going to be? Fight me and let Jiraiya bleed to death? Or don't fight me and save his life?"

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, then back at Naruto. Gritting her teeth, she knew that this battle between herself and Jiraiya against Naruto was over, as he was right. She turned from the Emperor and began to save Jiraiya's life, lest he bled to death. She was out of this fight, as from the look of things, she had injured and dead shinobi on her hands.

Turning back to Sasuke, who had quickly gotten over his shock of seeing one of the most powerful of the Sannin being crushed so easily, he brought his sword into a ready stance. "Now...where were we?"

Sasuke smirked as he raised his chokuto. "I was going to show everyone here why I am an Elite. I think Emperor of the West would suit me better than a dobe like you."

"You always loved the sound of your own voice, didn't you, Sasuke?" Naruto said as they circled. "You wouldn't last five minutes in the Empire. Face it. You are second best."

That made Sasuke mad. "You think that you're the only one who knows swordplay? I was taught by the best in Konoha."

Naruto raised his sword in a formal salute, Dooku-style. "Then show me, Sasuke Uchiha. Let's see if the so-called Uchiha Elite is a match for the Emperor of the Six Paths."

With that, the duel was on.

* * *

With Hinata...

Aside from Kurenai and Cell Eight, Saukra Haruno faced off against Hinata Hyuuga. The shy, meek, insecure shinobi that had her ass handed to her by Neji was gone. In her place was a medic-nin, forged in the fires of the Unification Wars. Sakura had kicked herself for not realizing it sooner, that the former heiress to the Hyuuga was not only the Empress Consort, but the head of the medic-nin program.

But now, as Sakura found out as she and Kurenai's team surrounded Hinata, Hinata was an unknown. She was not the insecure genin who got her ass handed to her by her elder cousin. She was Naruto's wife, which made her the Empress Consort of the West.

'Whatever,' Sakura snorted as she prepared for the inevitable fight. 'I've trained under Tsunade. I'm her true successor to becoming Sannin. Not that pig Ino. Hinata will soon see that fact first hand.'

Sakura would find out just how wrong she was, as Hinata had brought her down in ten hits (think Jun's 10-hit combo), knocking her out cold, her tenketsu points sealed.

Kurenai gave the order to attack. Hinata calmly countered the attacks from her former teammates. Kurenai had went for an easy win - or so she had hoped - with her signature Tree Binding Death jutsu, only to find out that Hinata's enhanced Bykaugan had neutralized her genjutsu. Shino attempted to use his kikachu to drain her chakra and force Naruto to surrender, only to see Hinata incinerate the tornado of kikachu with what she called the Deadly Tempest.

Hinata then dropped Shino with several senbon needles laced with a slow-acting poison. The poison wasn't lethal, but was designed to attack the nervous system, meaning that Shino would be out of it for a while...and he will need plenty of time to recover.

The battle was now three-on-one, as the Inuzuka and his dog - now mimicking Kiba - and Kurenai fought Hinata. The Empress Consort, as they had found out, had some new tricks, as what remained on Cell Eight learned the hard way.

As Hinata was distracted with Kiba and Akamaru, Kurenai attacked from behind. Kunai in hand, she was ready to stab Hinata in the back.

"Eight Trigrams: Kaiten!"

**SMACK.**

Kurenai knew of the Hyuuga's Kaiten, or Rotation. She knew that it was an defensive move, designed to deflect any type of projectiles, as she had seen Neji Hyuuga use it against Naruto Uzumaki during the Chuunin Exams.

Hinata, however, had made it into an offensive weapon.

Her body covered from head-to-toe in chakra, Hinata spun on her heels, the waves of chakra emerging from her body. To Kurenai, it was as she she had taken one of Tsunade's super-punches to the face, as she found herself being propelled into the air. A volley of poison-laced senbon needles soon followed and met its target, leaving Kurenai in the same state as Shino. She fell back to the ground, having been taken out of the fight, leaving Kiba and Akamaru to face Hinata.

With Hinata preoccupied with Kurenai, Kiba and Akamaru struck. "Gatsuga!"

Hinata knew that Kiba wasn't above cheap shots when her back was turned (she also did the same while back in the west). They were ninja, after all. Knowing first hand as to how the Gatsuga worked, Hinata performed a second Rotation, knocking Kiba and Akamaru out of the move, knocking them both to the floor. Kiba and Akamaru got back to their feet, but noticed the ever-familiar Eight Trigrams Pattern that they were standing on, which meant one thing.

"You're in my range, Kiba," Hinata confirmed.

"Aw, crap," Kiba muttered.

Moving faster than the normal eye can track, Hinata struck both Kiba and Akamaru. As she had used the 64 Palms, she split it in half, striking Kiba 32 times, and Akamaru 32 times. As Kiba found out, judging from the sealed chakra points, the broken leg, fractured wrist and broken ribs, Hinata had upgraded the 64 Palms so that she can tear muscle and break bones.

Kiba knew that he was out of the fight. Akamaru would be spending some time with Hana at the kennels. But despite everything, he considered himself lucky that Hinata did not hate him that much. Worse case scenario was that she could have killed him and Akamaru.

"You could have went easy on us!" Kiba lamented.

"I did. I didn't kill you," Hinata replied. "Despite you asking me out when we were kids, you were the nicest to me. This is your one-time deal, Inuzuka."

With her former cell effectively neutralized, Hinata bowed out of the fight.

* * *

With Kakashi and Zabuza...

Seven years earlier, Zabuza Momochi was thought to have died in Wave Country. Of course, Kakashi had embellished the reports on what had happened during the mission. He said that Sasuke and Sakura had defended Tazuna, while he himself took out Zabuza. Naruto, being the dead last, did nothing.

But he did not suspect that both Zabuza and his partner used a powered-up blood clone and fled to the West as the Mist Hunter Ninjas closed in. In the seven years since their last encounter, Zabuza had hooked up with a group of Mist refugees living in the Southern Region and later, hooked up with Naruto in his quest to unify the West.

The price Zabuza asked for? Kakashi Hatake's head.

Aside from Kakashi, Zabuza had to deal with the ten ANBU who had came to assist the Sharingan-wielding shinobi in killing the Demon of Kimon.

Or rather, the five ANBU, as Zabuza had cut them down without batting an eye, showing to Kakashi that Zabuza's skills has drastically improved in the years following his 'death,' wielding his oversized sword as if it was like a normal katana.

The remaining ANBU kept their distance as they watched Kakashi and Zabuza locked in a life-or-death duel. Kakashi had thought that without water for Zabuza to perform his jutsu, that this would be an easy match for him to win, and that Zabuza would die for real. But for someone who once preached 'look underneath the underneath,' he had underestimated the former Mist Swordsman, as he found himself on the defensive against Zabuza's barrage of attacks.

The fight between the two shinobi (plus five ANBU) had moved inside a building. Had Kakashi and the others were paying any attention, they would have noticed that the building in question was a damaged restaurant, a popular eatery for the shinobi and civilians in Suna. Perfect for Zabuza, as he could finally use his silent kill to get rid of the annoying ANBU that were keeping their distance.

Once Kakashi and the ANBU were inside, Zabuza pulled out several smoke bombs and threw them at Kakashi and the ANBU. Once they were properly distracted, Zabuza retreated into the kitchen.

Out in the dining area, in the midst of several coughing fits, Kakashi managed to get out, "Be on your guard! Zabuza could be anywhere!"

Zabuza's laughter echoed through the restaurant. "Got that right, Hatake. I am everywhere, and nowhere," his disembodied voice said. "The heart...the lungs...the spine...the brain...the liver...the kidneys...and the jugular. The body's seven most vital spots. So many ways to kill, so little time."

"Be careful," Kakashi warned the ANBU with him. "He is the master of the silent kill."

"Too late," Zabuza's voice said, the smoke finally clearing. "Your friends are already dead."

Kakashi looked around, and sure enough, the bodies of the five ANBU were sprawled all over the floor. Then Zabuza appeared from behind, hoping to take Kakashi's head on in one swing. Instead, the Demon of Kimon ended up cleaving a log in two. Zabuza spun around and deflected several kunai flung at him from Kakashi.

Soon, the two men had locked blades.

"Come on, Hatake," Zabuza said. "I just want to take a little off the top."

The swordfight then resumed, with Zabuza beating down Kakashi's defenses. Kakashi managed to break the stalemate and fired off a Great Fireball Jutsu, of which Zabuza managed to block, giving him enough time to unleash...

"KAMUI!"

* * *

With Asura Naruto...

Yamato, Asuma, Maito Gai and thirty ANBU who were inside the impromptu arena charged towards Naruto. But Asura Naruto stood in their path. "I am going to enjoy this," Asura Naruto said as he prepared to attack. While ten of them assisted Kakashi against Zabuza, the remaining ten stood with their ANBU commander.

"Spread out!" Yamato shouted. "Give him multiple targets! He can't take us all on!"

"I got him!" Asuma shouted as he went through handseals which Asura Naruto recognized. Snake. Rat. Snake. Tiger. "Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!" he said before blowing a cloud of chakra-enhanced gunpowder at Asura Naruto, enveloping him. Asuma was the son of Hiruzen and Biwako Sarutobi, a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, one of Konoha's top shinobi. So he thought he would cinch an easy victory over what was the village dead last.

Asuma had read the files on Naruto, as he was privy to his father's plans regarding the Uzumaki. He was one of many who had assaulted him as a child. The shinobi academy had sabotaged his training. Even Konohamaru's friendship to him was false, as it was an attempt for the Sandaime to have Naruto grow an attachment to the village. The only thing he had for him was that fact that he was the jinchuuriki and that he knew the shadow clones.

As Asuma began to make the handseals for a fire jutsu, the cloud of gunpowder suddenly blew back towards the ANBU and the Jounin. Gai's eyes went wide as he saw a single sheet of paper fluttering in the black cloud. A sheet of paper with an intricate series of writing centering around a single word: **Explosive.**

"Move!" the spandex-wearing Jounin shouted. "Exploding tag!"

Asuma, Yamato, Gai and Yamato managed to get out of the way, along with five of the ANBU, just as the tag detonated, ending the lives of the other five ANBU in a violent explosion. Asura Naruto grinned. Apparently, Asuma had forgotten - or did not listen to Kakashi - that his primary element was wind, so blowing back the gunpowder was easy enough with a wind jutsu, followed by a explosive tag, causing Asuma's initial plan to literally blow up in their face.

Tantos drawn, the remaining five ANBU charged at Asura Naruto, who charged at the five. As Asuma and the others watched in horror, Asura Naruto knocked the attacking ANBU as if they were not worth the effort, knocking them aside. Judging from the unnatural angles and the blood pooling from their bodies, it was a safe bet to say that they died instantly.

Asuma produced his trench knives and focused his chakra into the blades. Gai removed the weights from his legs. Yamato attacked first with his tanto, only to find that it did not affect Asura Naruto in the slightest. Asuma rushed in, hoping that the Flying Swallow would be enough to cause some damage onto Naruto.

Asuma slashed at Asura Naruto, who blocked the attack with his forearm. Sparks kicked off from the metallic arms, but what shocked Asuma was that there was no damage.

'That's impossible!' Asuma thought. 'The Flying Swallow can cut through steel!'

Asura Naruto looked amused as he cocked his head to the side. "Is that your best, Sarutobi?" he taunted.

Asuma's response was to launch a punch to the face, of which Asura Naruto calmly caught with one hand. Gai took this moment to blindsight Asura Naruto from the side and tried to bumrush in. Without breaking eye contact, Asura Naruto's hand lashed out and caught Gai's neck in an iron grip.

Asura Naruto turned his head to Gai, now having lifted a foot off the ground. "Wait for your turn," he said, flinging him into Yamato, who tried to attack while he was distracted. The 'Green Beast of Konoha' and the Mokouton-wielding ANBU captain crashed together in a heap, leaving Asura Naruto to deal with Asuma, having caught his other wrist when the Sandaime's son tried to punch him yet again.

Asura Naruto looked at the trench knife, then back at a defiant Asuma. "I remember those knives," he mused. "I remembered that you tried to kill me with them when I was six."

"You killed my mother, you demon bastard! I should have killed you when you were a baby!" Asuma spat out.

"Typical," Asura Naruto said, right before...

**CRUNCH.**

The sound of bones breaking was heard throughout Suna. Inside the Kazekage Tower, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Cell Nine winced at the sound. Asuma screamed as Naruto crushed both his hand and the trench knife with it, rendering both his hand and the knife useless. Asura Naruto dropped Asuma to the ground, the latter's hand and trench knife mangled and bloodied. When he brought his other hand to bear, Naruto responded by snapping his arm at the elbow.

As Asuma sank to his knees, Naruto's knee smashed into Asuma's face, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious.

"Damn you, you unyouthful demon!" Gai shouted as he unlocked four of the eight gates.

Asura Naruto kicked Asuma out of the way and beckoned Gai. "Come...so I can end you," he said. Like Asuma, Gai was also guilty of assaulting him in his youth. Asura Naruto charged at Gai...

...only to find himself encased in a tree, courtesy of Yamato and his Tree Binding Flourishing Burial.

"Did that do it?" Yamato whispered to himself, as he stood, knowing full well of the Mokouton's ability to rein in the power of a bijuu. "Did that stop him?"

From inside the tree, Asura Naruto gave his reply: "No. It did not. Fire Release: Deadly Tempest!"

With eyes filled with horror, Yamato, and Gai watched as the massive tree was reduced to carbon from the inside out, followed by Asura Naruto charging out of the destroyed tree, which collapsed onto itself, his intended target now clear. Yamato was on the receiving end of a metallic fist crashing against his jaw, breaking it in three places, which was followed by a kick to the sternum which sent him crashing through a wall, putting him out of commission.

Gai - now having unlocked seven of the eight gates - moved in to combat Asura Naruto. With Asuma and Yamato out of commission, it was now up to him to take down the demon.

"You will pay for your un-youthfulness, Demon!" Gai shouted as he knocked Asura Naruto into the air, high above Suna. As Gai launched himself after him, he follow through with the Reverse Lotus, unleashing a vicious barrage of punches and kicks. To anyone who had seen Gai and his former student perform the Reverse Lotus, the technique would be finished off with either Gai or Lee hitting their opponent with one fist and one foot, resulting in terminal velocity for the unfortunate person on the receiving end.

That, however, was not going to happen, as Gai attempted to deal the final blow, Asura Naruto disappeared...and reappeared behind Gai. Hands interlocked and raised over his head, Asura Naruto dealt the Green Beast of Konoha a vicious hammer punch that sent him back to Suna, where he made an impact crater upon landing. But Asura Naruto was not finished just yet. Upon returning to the streets via shunshin, Asura Naruto strode over to Gai, who was trying to get back to his feet, and failing, as unlocking the seven gates had depleted most of his chakra.

Standing over the fallen Gai, Asura Naruto looked down in triumph. "Not so fun when the 'demon brat' fights back, isn't it?" he taunted as Gai tried to crawl away. "You sent me to the hospital many times following you using me as a punching bag for your Gouken techniques." He raised one sandal-ed foot. "You thought I had forgotten that, haven't you?"

"Naruto...please...show mercy," Gai pleaded.

"The gods show mercy. To those who tried to kill me as a child, I show none," Asura Naruto said, right before slamming it down onto Gai's spine. Gai screamed as he felt his spinal cord snap in several places. "Your shinobi career is over, Maito Gai. See if you can get Tsunade to fix your back."

Maito Gai whimpered as he tried to use his legs, but could not. The pain became too great, causing him to pass out. Looking at the carnage surrounding him, Asura Naruto felt a small measure of revenge. His battle was over. With a **POOF**, he dispersed himself.

* * *

With Naruto and Sasuke...

Sasuke Uchiha was furious. He was an Uchiha. An Elite. One of the strongest Shinobi in Konoha. He wielded the Magenkyou Sharingan. He was trained by both Kakashi Hatake and Danzou Shimura. All of Konoha had recognized his strength.

Then there was his former teammate. The Kyuubi jinchuuriki, the Demon of Konoha, the Fox in Human Skin, the Dead Last. When Naruto was banished, he was pardoned. Despite his loss (and that he used the Cursed Seal), Sasuke had claimed his greatness, saying that Naruto would have lost were it not for the Nine-Tails in his body.

But as Sasuke was given anything and everything he wanted, Naruto had to work hard for what he had. While Sasuke lived a relatively peaceful life as Konoha's prince, Naruto had fought in the West, making alliances and forging an Empire under his rule, bringing about a peace that has not been seen since the time of his ancestor, the Six Paths Sage.

Simply put, Naruto had surpassed the self-proclaimed 'elite Uchiha.' Naruto would admit that he had gotten lucky at the Valley of the End. But following their fight in Tea Country, it had became clear that Naruto was the strongest of the two. And once Sasuke knew that the Emperor and the dobe was one and the same, it had pretty much enraged him.

Naruto had no problem mixing it up with his own blade, which was why he and the Uchiha were currently in the middle of a vicious sword duel, Naruto effectively neutralized both Jiraiya and Tsunade. Sharingan versus Rinnegan, the Emperor versus the Elite.

"How are you so damn strong?!" Sasuke snarled as he and Naruto locked blades. "You can't be this strong, Dobe! I am an Uchiha! That strength should be mine! How is it you are so damn strong?! Why can't my hatred defeat you?!"

"I earned my strength through hard work. Even now, I don't use my Rinnegan as a crutch," Naruto replied, right before headbutting the Uchiha, followed by a roundhouse to the jaw, knocking him to the ground. "That is the difference between us. There is no hatred, only passion. Through passion, I find strength."

Naruto continued to deflect and parry Sasuke's attacks as he continued to speak, reciting what Sonshi had told him when he learned the ways of the samurai. "Through strength, I gain knowledge. Through knowledge, comes serenity." He backhanded the Uchiha, busting his lip. "There is no chaos within me, only harmony. Through harmony, I gain victory. Through victory...my chains are broken."

"You talk to damn much!" Sasuke shouted.

"And you have learned nothing," Naruto replied as the battle intensified, the two former teammates-turned-enemies' flurry of swordplay - Sasuke's shinobi swordplay and Naruto's samurai and Mist swordsmanship - intensified, until the two men ended up in a second blade-lock.

"Your power...give it to me!" shouted the Uchiha prince, activating the Sharingan.

Naruto broke off the blade-lock with a headbutt to Sasuke, which was followed by him planting both feet into Sasuke's chest, knocking him backwards.

Naruto sheathed his O-katana. "You can't win, Sasuke," he said as his opponent stood up. "You're better off just giving up. I have long since surpassed you. I proved that at the Valley of the End. I proved it again in Tea Country. And I proved it here. I have nothing else to prove to you."

Sasuke's eyes were closed. "No. You're wrong, Dobe."

Naruto had a pretty good idea as to what was going to happen next, as he watched bloody tears emerge from his eyes. He steeled himself for Sasuke's final trump card.

Sasuke's eyes opened, revealing the Magenkyou Sharingan. "Prove to me that you can die! AMATERASU!"

The strongest of the Fire Release jutsu and the strongest jutsu that an Uchiha can master. The flames of Amaterasu are said to be the fires of Hell, hot as the sun, and said to be unavoidable, the flames capable of burning everything in its path, reducing whatever is caught in the flames to nothing but ash.

Naruto's response to Sasuke's attack was to activate his Rinnegan, falling back into the Deva Path.

"Shinra...TENSEI!"

Sasuke's eyes showed complete shock as the black flames were extinguished. In a futile gesture, he raised his hands to block the incoming pressure wave, only to find himself once again on the receiving end of the Shinra Tensei, Naruto's jutsu flinging him back into a wall.

Naruto was upon him in an instant. One punch to the sternum had caused Sasuke to cough up blood. This was followed by Naruto unloading a vicious barrage of punches into Sasuke's chest and torso, Sasuke's body jerking like a rag doll with each blow. The coup de grace came with Naruto punching Sasuke through the wall.

"Looks like I win again," Naruto said smugly. Turning from the mangled Uchiha, Naruto walked back into the street. Then he stopped and turned around.

Sasuke, despite being badly injured, stumbled out of the hole Naruto had made with his body. "Dobe...we...are not...done yet!"

"I'll give you this much. You're persistent," Naruto admitted, "but the battle is over. You lost. The Sannin lost. It's over."

"Damn you...DAMN YOU!" Sasuke snarled as the Cursed Seal went into overdrive as he went into Stage Two of the Cursed Seal.

His skin turned into a shade of dark gray, the lips a shade of blue. A black four-point star-like mark appeared in between his eyes, above the bridge of his nose. His hair had gotten longer, ending at his waist. The eyes no longer had the Sharingan. The sclerae turned black, the irides now yellow. Last, were the large webbed hand-shaped wings on his back.

"DIE NARUTO!" Sasuke screamed as he rose into the air, right before diving at Naruto, claws outstretched, ready to rip Naruto apart.

Had Sasuke been paying any attention, he would have noticed the smirk on Naruto's face. Or the ball of chakra-infused lightning in his hand.

"Imperial Style: CHIDORI!"

Sasuke's eyes bulged out of its sockets as Naruto nailed him with Kakashi's signature assassination jutsu, payback for Sasuke doing the same to him. The Uchiha prince screamed as the electricity coursed through his body, playing haywire with his chakra and nervous systems...and leaving a fist-sized hole in his shoulder - the same spot where Sasuke had done to Naruto years earlier, not to mention giving the people watching this fight a good view of his skeleton.

The force of the Chidori sent Sasuke sailing back to the mangled remains of Konoha's shinobi. Tsunade and Sakura had their hands full. Sakura wanted to go after Naruto, but Tsunade had ordered her to remain behind to help with the wounded. Asuma's hand was mangled, the other arm broken. Kurenai and Shino had been poisoned by Hinata, while Kiba and Akamaru had several broken bones. Gai's shinobi career was pretty much over, as his back was shattered. Yamato also had several broken bones, and Jiraiya's arm was severed.

This battle was over.

"You used the Chidori on me back at the Valley of the End," Naruto said as Sasuke returned to normal. "Consider us even."

He turned from Tsunade and the others. Hinata, having watched the fight from the sidelines, walked over to greet her husband properly.

However, in her rush, she did not see Kakashi emerge from the restaurant from where he was fighting Zabuza moments earlier, having won his battle. Seeing as how Naruto had won, Kakashi did the only thing he could do.

He targeted Naruto's wife.

"RAKIRI!"

Naruto saw that Kakashi had Hinata in his sights. If Konoha came out as the loser in this conflict, then the Emperor would be without his wife. Kakashi was fast, but Naruto was faster. He performed a Flash Step, closing the distance and shoving Hinata out of the way, just as Kakashi's Rakiri struck Naruto square in the chest.

Sharingan spinning, Kakashi saw that he did not kill Hinata, but he did catch Naruto. Tsunade and Jiraiya, despite being badly injured, looked upon the scene with grim satisfaction. Perhaps now Minato and Kushina could finally rest in peace with their killer dead. With this act, the Empire would be robbed of their Emperor.

"I got you, Demon," Kakashi grated. "I finally got you."

However, the look on Naruto's face was not disbelief that Kakashi had tried to kill him, but rather amusement. As Naruto rushed to intercept Kakashi's Raikiri, he had activated the Preta Path, which allowed him to take the full brunt of Kakashi's Rakiri without the effect of death. Kakashi's look of triumph turned to one of total shock as Naruto absorbed the jutsu. Even Tsunade and Jiraiya saw that Naruto was still alive, and not dead on his feet.

It was because of this development that Kakashi did not notice his impending doom coming from behind.

**THWACK.**

Kakashi's eyes bulged as he felt pain. Looking down, he saw the familiar shape of a massive sword sticking a foot out of his chest. Kakashi's eyes widened in horror as he recognized the blade, stained with his blood.

The Kubikiribocho.

"No..." Zabuza whispered from behind as he yanked his blade out of Kakashi, having got the jump on Naruto's former sensei. "I got **you**, Hatake."

"Za...Zabuza?! How...?!" Kakashi gasped.

"Water clone," was all that Zabuza had said. "You really thought that you suckered me, didn't you? You forgot about my water clones."

During the fight inside the restaurant, Zabuza had retreated into the kitchen, broken the kitchen's sink and used its water to create a reinforced water clone, of which he sent after Zabuza. Naruto had warned him of the Sharingan's abilities and now the Demon of Kimon was thankful that he had listened to the Emperor's advice. All he had to do was wait for the perfect time to strike. And it came when Kakashi tried to kill Naruto with the Rakiri.

Naruto and Hinata backed off several steps as Kakashi turned around, and looked into the face of the man thought to have been sent to the Other Dimension by the Kamui. Kakashi was looking into the face of his executioner. He was dead either way, as the wound Zabuza had delivered to him was mortal.

"For the crimes of betraying both the Uzumaki clan and my father, your sentence is death, Hatake," Naruto coldly decreed. Turning to Kakashi, he gave his former sensei his parting words as Zabuza raised Kubikiribocho, savoring the look of horror mixed with fear as he knew what was coming. "Death comes for us all, Hatake. But when you die, something far worse awaits you."

The blade of the Head Chopping Cleaver slashed its way through flesh, muscle and bone. Kakashi's head fell forward, while the body keeled over, the stump spilling blood in the street, the body twitching before finally going still.

Kakashi Hatake was dead.

"Which is that you die with no honor," Naruto finished. Turning to Zabuza, he asked, "Happy now?"

Zabuza nodded. "Very."

Naruto turned to the injured Konoha shinobi. Sasuke had reverted back to human form following the Chidori to the chest and was being tended to by Sakura. Hinata made a signal, and the Imperial forces converged onto the scene, weapons drawn.

"Our battle is finished here," Naruto intoned. "Take your wounded and leave my sight."

Tsunade, now having stabilized Jiraiya, glared at her former godson. "This isn't over, Naruto!" shouted the Godaime. "This is nothing but petty hatred and vengeance on your end!"

"For the moment, it is over," Naruto replied. "You call this hatred. I call it retribution. You say this is vengeance? This is justice. But this is only the beginning, you hag. This is the beginning of the end for the Leaf. Go back to Konoha and tell them that the dead last has returned. Tell them that as the Yellow Flash brought Konoha's rise to power, the Emperor of the Six Paths will bring about its reckoning. Either leave under your own power...or I can send you back in a box. Make your choice now."

Tsunade wanted to fight to the bitter end, to go out fighting. But Jiraiya needed immediate medical attention and her jounin were grievously injured. The Imperial forces parted, making a path for the beaten and wounded Konoha shinobi to pass through with the help of the surviving jounin who were kept from the battle at blade-point, Tsunade giving one final hate-filled glare at Naruto, now placing the kage-style hat back on his head and walking away from the battle, Hinata at his side.

As Tsunade and the Konoha shinobi departed from Suna, a fourth party - unknown to either Konoha, Suna or the Imperial West, made his own escape. A white-haired shinobi with glasses.

* * *

Otogakure, Rice Country - several days later.

Inside his laboratory, Orochimaru was going over some notes in regards to his new test subjects when Kabuto came running in, out of breath. Without looking up from his notes, he said, "You're a week late, Kabuto. I hope you have a very good reason as to why you are behind schedule."

The Snake Sage had ordered Kabuto to investigate the Akatsuki's movements, which had led Kabuto to Suna. There, disguised as a Suna Jounin, Kabuto had witnessed the deaths of both Deidara and Sasori at the hands of the Emperor and Empress Consort. But before Kabuto could leave, Suna was placed under martial law, the civilians evacuated to several fallback spots.

Then the Akatsuki invaded, and Kabuto ended up fighting alongside Suna and the Imperial forces against the Six Paths and their 100,000 White Zetsu Army. Kabuto had a first-hand look as to how the Imperial forces - shinobi and samurai - fight. He also got a good glimpse of how the Imperial Medic Corps went about their work.

But most important, he knew the identities of the Emperor and his wife, and of their connection to Konoha.

To Orochimaru, the Western Empire was an unknown to him. Upon hearing about the Pekara Outpost in Wind Country six months earlier, he had sent Kabuto to investigate. What Kabuto had managed to find out was that a high-ranking official and his wife had conducted inspections on the Pekara branches in the Elemental Countries. Grudgingly, he had to admit that the Imperials were strong, especially the Man in Black's commander of his elite unit of bodyguards.

"I know I am behind on my time," Kabuto panted. "There is a development. The Akatsuki has been destroyed."

That caught Orochimaru's interest. "Explain."

And Kabuto told him what had happened. He told his master about the Akatsuki Invasion of Suna, of how Konan and the Six Paths led the surviving members of the Akatsuki and 100,000 White Zetsu Clones against a joint force of Suna shinobi and four battalions of Imperial shinobi and samurai, and of how despite being outnumbered 2-to-1, the joint Suna-Imperial forces were victorious.

"There's more," Kabuto continued. "I know the identity of the Akatsuki mastermind. It was not Nagato as we originally expected. You knew him as Tobi, but in truth, his real name is Obito Uchiha."

Orochimaru was surprised. "So there were two Uchihas in the Akatsuki...interesting. Continue."

"The Akatsuki were killed to the last man," Kabuto said. "Hidan...Kazuku...Konan...Nagato...Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. Obito had been captured alive and will face execution upon being sent to the Western Empire."

"Hmm...one less headache for me," the Snake Sannin said. "Anything else?"

Kabuto grinned. "Yes. The Emperor and his wife...I know who they are." Not wanting to keep his master in suspense, he told him. "The Emperor is the one who was banished for doing his job. The Emperor is Sasuke Uchiha's former teammate, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki."

If Orochimaru was surprised before, this took the cake. "Are you telling me that the Emperor himself is Naruto Uzumaki? The dead-last?"

Kabuto nodded. "His parents were Sarutobi's successor and the Red Death herself."

That gave Orochimaru pause. As a former Konoha shinobi and one-third of the Legendary Sannin, he knew of Tsunade's family history involving the Uzumaki and the Senju. "Mito Uzumaki was wife to Hashirama Senju, and Tsunade was her granddaughter. Kushina Uzumaki was Tsunade's niece..."

Kabuto immediately caught on. "...and Naruto Uzumaki is Tsunade's great-nephew."

Orochimaru cackled. "Tsunade, in her infinite wisdom, banished her great-nephew! They screwed over the direct descendant of the Six Paths Sage! So who is his wife?"

"The former Hyuuga Heiress. Hinata Hyuuga. From what I found out, she is the founder of the Western Empire's Imperial Medic Program there. I hate to say it, but the Imperial program is a lot more advanced. And speaking of Tsunade..."

Orochimaru stopped laughing. "What?"

"She came to Suna hoping to get back on Gaara's good side in fighting with Suna, and to try and negotiate an alliance with the Emperor. Backing her was Jiraiya, several of their senior Jounin and several of Naruto's former teammates, including Sasuke Uchiha. Uzumaki has gotten strong. Even stronger than the Uchiha. His wife as well. They both had come a long way since Konoha."

"I bet that the reunion did not go as well," Orochimaru mused.

"That is an understatement," Kabuto replied. "Tsunade had sicced Kakashi and the other Jounin on the both of them. Out of everyone, Maito Gai, Asuma Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Sasuke had it the worst. Sarutobi suffered a broken hand and a broken arm. Maito Gai...well, his shinobi career is effectively over. Jiraiya lost his arm. And Sasuke - despite using the Cursed Seal ended up with a Chidori in his chest."

"Uzumaki did all of that?" Orochimaru asked. When Kabuto nodded, Orochimaru added as an afterthought, "Well it's a good thing that he hates Konoha as much as I do. I actually feel a little better with him not agreeing to our alliance, not to mention losing to his captain of the guard."

"Kakashi Hatake is dead," Kabuto reported.

"Naruto killed him?"

"No. Zabuza Momichi - the Demon of the Mist - took his head."

Orochimaru took a moment to take all of the news in. "This might work to our advantage. If there is one thing I can count on, is that dear Sasuke cannot stand the fact that someone like Naruto is stronger than him. I may be able to get my body just yet."

"Should I organize a retrieval team and intercept him from Tsunade and the others?"

"No. I can wait a while longer."

"What about Naruto and the Western Empire?"

Orochimaru thought about it for a moment. "It's clear that we are not on Naruto and Hinata's radar, and that they hate Konoha as much as we do. So we will leave them and their merchants along for the time being. Send word to the Raikage. Uzumaki and the Western Empire is off limits." His smile grew sinister. "But if Sasuke refuses to come to my side...I can always be an Emperor."

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato, at the same time...

It had been midnight when Tsunade and the remains of her forces had returned to Konoha. Since that time, she, along with Shizune and Sakura had been hard at work stabilizing the badly injured shinobi, even going as far as taking a soldier pill in order to keep working. As she had been busy with Jiraiya, Shizune and Sakura had been tasked along with the doctors in treating the injured shinobi, as well as compiling a casualty list of the ANBU who were killed.

* * *

Konoha Hospital, Dawn.

Shizune and Sakura gave their reports to Tsunade, who had just finished treating Jiraiya.

"Sixteen ANBU dead," Sakura reported as she handed Tsunade a scroll. "Here are their names. Kakashi Hatake KIA."

Tsunade nodded grimly. She had brought two hundred jounin level shinobi with her to Suna, and yet when Naruto and Hinata had used their forces to block them from interfering at blade and jutsu-point. Seeing as how the jounin were outnumbered and outmatched, the remaining jounin had no choice but to comply.

Tsunade found them outside Suna, and ordered them to help with the wounded and the dead...after demoting them to Chuunin. They were not allowed to take Kakashi's body, as that was incinerated in one of the many pyres outside of Suna.

"And the others?" Tsunade asked.

Shizune went over her notes. "Out of the group that was attacked by Uzumaki and his wife, Kurenai Sarutobi and Shino Aburame were affected by an unknown type of poison which makes the chakra and nervous systems go haywire. It's not lethal, but it is extremely effective."

"Were you able to get samples?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura shook her head. "The poison works pretty fast. Despite taking blood samples from both Sarutobi and Aburame, there was no poison in their system. Either way, both of them will be out of action for about a week until they recover. Considering what has happened to the others, they got off lucky."

"And the others?"

"First up is Maito Gai," Shizune reported. "There was too much damage from where Uzumaki had crushed his spine. He won't be able to walk again. His shinobi career is finished."

Tsunade nodded grimly. "Continue."

"Asuma Sarutobi's right hand was crushed, along with his trench knife, which proved to be quite a challenge for the doctors to remove without having to remove the hand altogether," Shizune said. "We were able to save his hand, but every bone in his finger has been broken. He also has a broken left arm at the elbow. He's looking at several months of recovery."

Sakura continued after that. "Kiba Inuzuka has suffered several broken bones, including those in his left leg, a broken radius and a broken wrist. Akamaru had been placed in the care of the Inuzuka vets. Yamato's jaw is broken in three places, and a fractured chest bone. Sasuke Uchiha was the worst off. A Chidori-sized hole in his chest, half of the ribs are either broken or fractured, and the electricity from the jutsu has overloaded his nervous system and chakra reserves."

"How long will he be out?" Tsunade asked.

"A month. Month and a half at the most," Sakura replied. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"That brat gave me a concussion when he suplexed me," Tsunade grated. "Jiraiya...we couldn't save his arm. He died on me twice, but I managed to revive him." She sighed in frustration. "How in the hell could he have gotten so powerful? Sensei made sure that we conditioned him, not to mention that we stunted his growth."

"He was always the unpredictable one," Sakura admitted. "He beat Kiba, and Neji in the exams."

"He should not have that kind of power, Sakura," Shizune said. "Such power could be turned against us in the long run. If there is anything I know about the Uzumaki, is that they never forget who wrongs them."

"You forget that I am also of the Uzumaki, as Mito was my grandmother," Tsunade pointed out. "But first and foremost, I am a Senju. Naruto has made it clear that he is a major threat to the Leaf. The bodies of Hatake and the ANBU slan has made that point very clear. Monitor Jiraiya and the others. I must tell the council that Uzumaki and the West is now a certified threat."

Shizune and Sakura nodded as Tsunade vanished down the corridor.

* * *

Underneath Konohagakure, hours later...

Inside his inner sanctum, Danzou Shimura was furious. The Sharingan in his eye was spinning, his body leaking killer intent. The man known as 'The Darkness of Shinobi' had just returned from an emergency council meeting, in which Tsunade had delivered some devastating news.

Naruto Uzumaki was the Emperor of the West. The dead-last, the Kyuubi brat, was the most powerful man on the Western Continent. The same Naruto Uzumaki who had killed Honmura and Koharu over a year ago. The same Naruto Uzumaki who had rendered him helpless inside his own underground chambers.

The same Naruto Uzumaki who can lead an army into Konoha and crush it under his heel.

People change in the seven years following their banishment, as Danzou's co-conspirators found out the hard way.

The council had been in an uproar when the revelation was revealed. The civilian side of the council wanted Tsunade to declare war on the Empire, or by extension, their allies in Spring, Water and Wind. That idea was shot down by the clans, as they would be outnumbered 5-to-1.

But Danzou still could not do anything, as Naruto still had the evidence pertaining to the stolen bloodlines he had on his person, lest he earned the wrath of the Godaime and the Last Uchiha.

All he could do now is plan.

**OMAKE!**

**Hokuto no Naruto**

Snafu's Notes: Kudos to Azure Dragon of the East for inspiring this idea via PM.

Naruto's response to Sasuke's attack was to activate his Rinnegan, falling back into the Deva Path.

"Shinra...TENSEI!"

Sasuke's eyes showed complete shock as the black flames were extinguished. In a futile gesture, he raised his hands to block the incoming pressure wave, only to find himself once again on the receiving end of the Shinra Tensei, Naruto's jutsu flinging him back into a wall.

Naruto was upon him in an instant. One punch to the sternum had caused Sasuke to cough up blood. This was followed by Naruto unloading a vicious barrage of punches into Sasuke's chest and torso, Sasuke's body jerking like a rag doll with each blow. The coup de grace came with Naruto punching Sasuke through the wall.

"Looks like I win again," Naruto said smugly. Turning from the mangled Uchiha, Naruto walked back into the street. Then he stopped and turned around.

Sasuke, despite being badly injured, stumbled out of the hole Naruto had made with his body. "Dobe...we...are not...done yet!"

"I'll give you this much. You're persistent," Naruto admitted, "but the battle is over. You lost. The Sannin lost. It's over."

"Damn you...DAMN YOU!" Sasuke snarled as the Cursed Seal went into overdrive as he went into Stage Two of the Cursed Seal.

His skin turned into a shade of dark gray, the lips a shade of blue. A black four-point star-like mark appeared in between his eyes, above the bridge of his nose. His hair had gotten longer, ending at his waist. The eyes no longer had the Sharingan. The sclerae turned black, the irides now yellow. Last, were the large webbed hand-shaped wings on his back.

"DIE NARUTO!" Sasuke screamed as he rose into the air, right before diving at Naruto, claws outstretched, ready to rip Naruto apart.

Had Sasuke been paying any attention, he would have noticed the smirk on Naruto's face. Or the fact that his killer intent was radiating from his body like a flame, literally **burning** off his haori, flak vest and mesh shirt, revealing his own scarred torso (think the scars which Kazuya Mishima has sans the large scar on his chest). The Emperor met him in mid-air, his foot smashing against the demonic-looking Uchiha's face, knocking him back.

As Sasuke got back to his feet, Naruto struck.

"A-TATATATATATATATATATATATATATA TATATATATATA..."

**CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH...**

As Tsunade and Jiraiya watched in complete shock and awe, Naruto unleashed a massive barrage of punches with both hands, striking at the Uchiha's 708 acupressure points. To anyone watching this, it was as if Naruto had moved at an inhuman speed, even faster than Rock Lee and Gai combined as he pummeled Sasuke with his fists, the Uchiha's body jerking around violently like a rag doll from the impact of the blows.

Then Naruto switched from his hands to one foot, kicking Sasuke just as fast...

"...TATATATATATATATATATATATATATA TATATATATATA..."

******CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH...**

...right before resuming punching him again, only this time with one hand, not slowing down...

"...TATATATATATATATATATATATATATA TATATATATATA..."

******CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH...**

...and Naruto returned to using his other hand like he had done earlier at the start of the technique...

"WA-TAH!"

**KA-POW!**

The final blow had knocked Sasuke ass over head, crashing in front of Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"Imperial Style: Hundred Crack Fist," Naruto said as he retrieved his Kage-style hat. With a flourish, he placed it on his head, turned around and begin to walk away. "It's over for you, Sasuke."

"Dobe..."

Once again, Naruto stopped in mid-step, but did not turn around.

Sasuke, still in Stage Two, got back to his feet, shrugging off Tsunade's attempts to help him. "We're not done yet, Dobe!" he shouted as he coughed up blood. "Don't you turn your back on me!"

Slowly, Naruto turned his head. "I got four words for you, Teme. **Omae wa mou shindeiru**." (You are already dead.)

"Is that so?" Sasuke snarled back, taking a step forward, then paused as his body began to jerk and twitch violently. Sasuke screamed as he felt his body's internal organs begin to break down, his head swelling to inhuman proportions, the hair falling out of his deformed skull. His torso also began to swell as he fell to his knees.

"Uz...uzu...UZUMAKI!"

**BOOM.**

That was Sasuke's final word as his head literally exploded, with his body following soon afterward. All that remained of Sasuke was everything from the waist down, splattering Tsunade and Jiraiya with bits and pieces of gore. Sasuke's legs twitched before finally going still.

'Damn it,' Naruto cursed. 'That was the third vest and haori I destroyed this week. Now I need a new one.'


	8. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Snafu's Notes: Close to 200 reviews and I have written only six chapters. Yay me. I survived the Mayan Apocalypse and all I got to show for it is bad pizza and even worse liquor. Bah. I originally said that I would not be posting a new chapter until the beginning of the new year, but I couldn't help myself. So I flipped a coin: Heads, I would post this chapter now. Tails, I would wait. As you can see, heads won.

Three weeks had passed since the conclusion of the Akatsuki Invasion of Suna, in which the organization of S-class missing nin led by Obito Uchiha was destroyed, and the Konoha-Imperial Conflict, in which a group of high-ranking shinobi led by two of the Sannin, picked a fight with the Emperor and his wife, the Empress Consort, resulting in the deaths of sixteen ANBU Black Ops, the maiming of several high-ranking Jounin and the death of Kakashi Hatake.

Upon their return to the West, Naruto had taken Obito Uchiha to the sword, which was followed by Kurama incinerating his body. As a final indignity, Naruto had pissed on the ashes. In the month following that incident, Konoha's standing as the strongest of the Shinobi Villages in the East has plummeted. Suna had taken Konoha's spot as the strongest of the Shinobi Villages, with both Konoha and Iwa tied for No.2. With Konoha knocked down a peg, Naruto and Hinata initiated **Imperial Protocol 110482**.

Originally called **Operation: Kill The Bakas** as a joke between Naruto and Hinata, **Imperial Protocol 110482** – also known as **Operation: Scorched Leaf –** was a series of plans developed by Naruto and Hinata which would in the end, lead to Konoha's destruction. Sending in his army would be too tedious for Naruto, which is why he came up with this plan. Once Naruto and Hinata became the rulers of the Empire, the plans were revised and revamped. Following their return to Kimon, Naruto and Hinata had put their plan into action.

A week after returning to Kimon, Naruto had sent out a series of scrolls detailing not only the failed Akatsuki Invasion of Suna and the confrontation between the Empire and the Konoha shinobi, but also details in regards to the Akatsuki, Obito Uchiha and Operation Moon Eye. The results were as Naruto and Hinata had expected, which had damaged Konoha even further, sowing mistrust in the Leaf. Of course, Tsunade and the Fire Lord denied the accusations, saying that what Naruto was doing was out of spite. But seeing as how they had favored a hero over a potential traitor, their denials fell on deaf ears.

In response to the Imperial Nation's actions, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the Fire Damiyo responded by revealing that the Western Empire had the Jinchuuriki in their possession, and that they had fought in the Suna-Akatsuki War, hoping to use the political pressure from the Damiyos and the other Kages to force Naruto into surrendering the Jinchuuriki back to their respective villages.

However, Tsunade was a day late and a ryo short. The Damiyos which had the major villages had already knew that Naruto and Hinata had long since retrieved the Jinchuuriki, and allowed him to do so in exchange for a promise of non-aggression on his end. Should the Kages raise a stink over the loss of the Jinchuuriki, then the Damiyos will pull them back in line.

This did not sit well with Tsunade and Jiraiya.

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato, Fire Country

Jiraiya walked into the office. The one-armed Sannin's expression was grim, and has been grim since the fateful mission into Suna. The stump on where his arm used to be served as a reminder of what Naruto had become.

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork. "Well? Did you hear anything?" she demanded.

"Bad news all around," replied Jiraiya. "From what my informants have told me, it appears that the brat is two steps ahead of us. The Damiyos have long known that Naruto had taken the Jinchuuriki. In fact, they allowed him to do so in exchange of a promise of non-aggression on his end."

"Which means that their respective Kages can't do anything," Tsunade seethed. "What about Naruto and Hinata's Bingo Book entries?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "They were voided out. The gaki and the Hyuuga have been recognized as rulers of a sovereign nation, which as you know, carries automatic diplomatic immunity. Honestly, I never expected Naruto be be this cunning. Whatever he thinks of, he knows how to counterattack." He looked at his stump of an arm before turning back to his former teammate.

"But we still have one final card left to play, Jiraiya," Tsunade said. "The Kage Summit."

"Think it will work?" Jiraiya asked.

"Konoha is no longer the strongest of the shinobi villages," Tsunade said. "Hatake is dead, Gai is a cripple, and both Sarutobi and Yamato are in rehab. Aside from the fact that we lost four clans and Orochimaru is launching hit-and-run attacks over the border, thinning out our numbers even further, now that he has not to worry about the Akatsuki."

"You know what they are calling Naruto now, seeing as how he was responsible for the destruction of the Akatsuki? They are calling him the 'Akatsuki Killer.'"

"I don't care what they call him," Tsunade snapped. "He is a threat to not only Konoha, but to all of Fire Country."

"I agree," Jiraiya said. "Right now, my informants are looking into the Pekara Merchant House branches in Wind, Wave, Tea and Spring. So far, all we got are trade routes. Nothing concrete. Where is the Kage Summit being held?"

"Iron Country," Tsunade replied. "General Mifune has agreed to play as host and mediator to the other Kages. The meeting is to take place three weeks from now. You will remain here as acting Kage in my stead while I take two bodyguards, as per the conditions set by Mifune."

"Who are you taking with you?" asked Jiraiya.

"Danzou has offered two of his private security corps to accompany me, but I seriously don't trust him. Kiba Inuzuka is still out on the inactive list, so I will take the Inuzuka Matriarch and Sakura Haruno, as she was the least wounded shinobi out of the bunch. That brat has been lucky for a while now. But this time, his luck will run out once I turn the other kages against him."

"And the Jinchuuriki under his control?"

Tsunade huffed. "The tailed beasts were given to the other shinobi villages by my grandfather in order to keep the peace once they were tamed. By extension, the Jinchuuriki are the property of the Senju clan, which means that they belong to me. That brat will have no other option but to surrender the Jinchuuriki over to me, or else he will suffer the consequences."

Jiraiya sighed. "If this was the same brat that was a genin, then yeah, Naruto would not be a match for us. Now...he is an unknown, Tsunade. He is no longer the same brat that Sensei wanted to be Konoha's weapon. Because he is an unknown, that makes him even more dangerous." He gestured to his stump. "Look what he did to me. Look what he did to Asuma, Gai and Yamato. Hatake is dead, and he was one of our strongest shinobi. He could have killed us back in Suna, but chose not to, and it was not because that this was his former home."

"Are you saying that he spared all of us for a specific reason?" Tsunade asked.

"It looks that way," the one-armed Sage replied. "Maybe he wants us to suffer, or maybe he wants to destroy us himself. The kid was known to be unpredictable. He made the impossible possible. He beaten the Inuzuka heir and the Hyuuga prodigy in the Chuunin Exams. Hell, from what Sasuke had told me, he unlocked the power of the Rinnegan during their first battle at the Valley. The fact that he can fight without relying on it as a crutch makes him even more dangerous than Itachi, Obito and Sasuke combined."

Jiraiya remembered Naruto's words that day in Suna after he and Hinata (and Zabuza) had came out on top following their confrontation.

_'You call this hatred. I call it retribution. You say this is vengeance? This is justice. But this is only the beginning, you hag. This is the beginning of the end for the Leaf. Go back to Konoha and tell them that the dead last has returned. Tell them that as the Yellow Flash brought Konoha's rise to power, the Emperor of the Six Paths will bring about its reckoning.'_

"You think he could reach out to Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked.

Jiraiya shook his head. "I don't think so. I think it's safe to say that he is no more of a fan of that snake than the both of us. In the meantime, I'm heading for the Fire Capital to update the Fire Damiyo on the situation. Afterward, I'm going to check on some of my contacts in Tanzuka."

Tsunade nodded and dismissed Jiraiya.

* * *

Imperial Complex, Palace Gardens.

Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze watched with a smile as Hinata and Tenten exchanged gossip whilst sitting in the shade of the sakura trees. Hizashi and Minato were in their respective laps, while Hiashi and Neji fussed over the two children.

"He looks just like you," Mifune said, standing at the Emperor's side. "Fatherhood suits you."

"I'm glad you think so, General," the Emperor replied. His expression had gotten serious as he turned to the old samurai. "In spite of everything, this was not a social call. There is a reason why you decided to come to Kimon rather than contact my informants and spies in the East."

Several days earlier, General Mifune and a group of bodyguards had visited Kimon. Sonshi had received his longtime rival warmly, even going as far as to holding a feast in his rival's honor at his estate. On Friday, the day of the local tournaments, Sonshi and Mifune had fought in The Arena. Naruto, Hinata and the Imperial Council were among those in attendance. The battle had ended in a draw, but had left the old men in good spirits.

This was Naruto's second encounter with the Iron Country chief. The first time he had met Mifune was through Eiji Kibagami, when Mifune visited Kimon the first time to sign a trade agreement, which allowed the Empire to establish a Pekara Outpost in Iron Country in exchange for reduced prices for their goods.

The second time Mifune had came to the Imperial Complex, he had some information for the Emperor and Empress Consort. Information regarding Konoha.

"Once again, your intuition proves to be correct," Mifune confirmed. "Your actions in Suna towards your former village has caught the eye of the other villages. The Godaime Hokage has called for a summit of the Kages. I have been asked to host it, not to mention playing the role of mediator."

"And you agreed to do so."

"Yes. And it just so happens that the summit falls exactly on the same day as you and your wife are due for your annual inspection of the Pekara Merchant Branch in Iron Country, which is one month from now."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Are you suggesting that I crash the summit General?"

The old man smirked. "Unofficially, yes. Officially...you know the rules."

"Interesting," Naruto said. "You said that only two bodyguards can come with me?"

Mifune nodded.

"Looks like you can expect my wife and I to the summit, General," Naruto said. "Thanks for the information."

* * *

Inside the Imperial Palace, later...

"So what did Mifune wanted to talk with you about?" Hinata asked as she put Minato to bed for the night. Their one-year-old son had so much energy. And now, he was tucked out. Minato let out a cute little yawn before settling in for the night.

Naruto watched as Hinata tended to their son. "Mifune dropped some interesting news in regards to the East," he replied. "The old hag has called for a Kage Summit."

"Senju plans on trying to get the Kages on her side," Hinata said. "Maybe even try and put pressure on us since they know we have the Jinchuuriki here."

"I was thinking the same thing," Naruto said. "I knew there was a reason why I married you."

Hinata turned to her husband and smiled. "Without me, you would get into trouble and be very miserable. So what do you plan on doing?" she asked. The look on Naruto's face said it all. "You're going to crash the summit, aren't you?"

"Yup."

Hinata pouted. "I see that you are not going to change your mind. Well, since you're going, I might as well come along. There is this cheongsam that I want to wear for the occasion. What were the conditions that Mifune had set?"

"Two bodyguards can come along. So I will bring Mochizuki and Sana."

Hinata nodded. "Naruto. Back in Suna when we confronted Tsunade and the others...why didn't you kill Sasuke? Why did you spare his life instead? I know he shoved a Chidori into your chest during the retrieval mission, but why not just kill him and be done with it?"

"I think Yugito's training has rubbed off on you," Naruto mused as he walked over to the nightstand drawer. "You should have been a Hellcat instead of a medic-nin." Unlocking the seals which kept the drawer locked, he opened it and pulled out two black books; one containing the insignia of the Leaf, the other containing the insignia of Danzou's ROOT ANBU.

Naruto began to explain. "The first time I returned to the Leaf, I assassinated Honmura and Koharu. I got the first book from Danzou detailing his crimes he had done in the name of the Leaf. The second book, I stole from the Hokage's office when I snuck back in to retrieve my parents' ashes...after spiking her sake with laxatives. Blowing up the Hokage Monument was a bonus."

Hinata began to leaf through the pages of the Hokage Black Book. "And when were you going to tell me about this?" she asked.

"I did tell you, remember? Sarutobi and those two idiot students of his have plenty of secrets."

"Oh." Hinata continued to flip through the pages. Then she stopped. "Son of a bitch."

Naruto knew that tone in her voice in an instant. If Hinata spoke in a tone that showed she was pissed, violence and in the most extreme cases, death would most likely ensue.

Hinata looked angry, and she had a very good reason why. "Sarutobi, Jiraiya and those two relics had a hand in my attempted kidnapping."

"The incident with Kumo?"

Hinata nodded. "Sarutobi tried to sell me out."

What Hinata was speaking of was the incident known as the Hyuuga Affair. Hinata had nearly been kidnapped by the Kumo ambassador, had it not been for her father, who had killed the kidnapper. Kumo had threatened war in retaliation, unless Konoha surrendered the Hyuuga clan head. Hizashi had went in Hiashi's place, as the Caged Bird Seal would rob Kumo of learning of the Bykaugan, and because he was Hiashi's twin brother so Kumo did not know the difference.

"Well it's a good thing that he died while fighting Orochimaru, didn't he?" Naruto said as he looked through Danzou's black book.

"You still haven't answered my question about Sasuke," Hinata said.

"Turn to page 49."

Hinata did as she was asked. "Operation: Downfall."

"The Uchiha was planning a coup d'etat," Naruto said as Hinata had read the blackout orders. "Sarutobi, Danzou, those two old bastards and Jiraiya had ordered Itachi to butcher the entire clan, save for Sasuke. What they don't know is that Obito had helped in the slaughter. The reason why Sasuke is still alive is simple, Hime. Konoha's destruction will not come from us."

"It's going to come from Sasuke," Hinata finished.

"By having Konoha and Fire Country focus their attention on me, they will not suspect the Uchiha of stabbing them in the back. Konoha knows that the Imperial Nation is a threat to them. Danzou tried to assassinate us, and failed. Tsunade lost face when she attacked us in Suna. Orochimaru will do his part in keeping pressure on Konoha. More than likely, he knows about the both of us, but since we hate Konoha as much as he does, he won't do anything that would cause us to turn our attention to him."

Naruto sat down beside Hinata. "Even back when we were under Hatake, Sasuke sees himself as an Elite because of his clan name and because of his Sharingan. What he values is power and influence. If Konoha does not give him what he wants, or if it appears to be weak, he will go elsewhere for the power that he thinks he so rightfully deserves. And seeing as how I, the former dead-last of the cell, is clearly stronger than he is, that is something that will eat at him."

"Which is why he tried to go to Orochimaru the first time," Hinata said. When Naruto nodded, Hinata continued. "And if he tries to defect to Orochimaru a second time..."

Naruto grinned. "This time, he would most likely succeed. All Sasuke needs is a push in the 'right direction.' Which is where these two black books come in. But I don't plan on driving him to the snake just yet. That won't happen until after the Imperial Kumite in two months' time. I will pit Sasuke against one of the Four Devas, preferably against Rasu. Once Sasuke finds out that he is not as powerful as he fancies himself to be..." Naruto gestured to the two books. "...he will find out the truth once I plant these inside his home. That Konoha has been using him as they once tried with me. He will run to Orochimaru."

"Only this time, there will be no retrieval team to stop him, as Orochimaru won't make the same mistake twice," Hinata said. "Sasuke will flee to Orochimaru and seeing as how Konoha was responsible for the destruction of his clan, he will bring down hell upon the Leaf." She chuckled dryly.

"And we will watch the festivities from a safe distance," Naruto said. "All we need is the popcorn. And regardless of how the battle will play out - be it Konoha ekes out a victory or the Snake destroys Konoha - we move in and finish the Leaf off once and for all."

"What about the Sannin?"

"Had they honored my parents' final wishes instead of betraying me, then this would not have gone as far as it had did," her husband replied. "Their time is over and they don't realize it."

* * *

Elsewhere in the East, the aforementioned Sannin and Sasuke Uchiha sneezed. At the same time, the ominous feeling of dread had crept up their spines, as if the Death God himself had sealed their fates.

* * *

Iron Country.

Iron Country was the only country in the Elemental Countries which had highly-trained samurai instead of shinobi. The samurai there were descended from samurai who had emigrated from the war-torn West in search of a more peaceful life. The other shinobi villages had left it alone, as the samurai were not only tough, but Iron Country had a long-standing policy in not to interfere in the other country's affairs.

Given its neutrality, the country was a perfect choice to host the Kage Summit.

The location of the Summit was held inside the Iron Capital, with General Mifune playing as host and mediator. As expected, the major players in the Elemental Countries were present for the meeting.

From Mist: Godaime Mizukage Mei Terumi and her bodyguards, Ao and Chojuro.

From Iwa: Sandaime Tsuchikage Onoki of Both Scales and his bodyguards, his granddaughter Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi.

From Konoha: Godaime Hokage Tsunade Senju and her bodyguards, Tzume Inuzuka and Sakura Haruno.

From Kumo: Godaime Raikage (i.e., puppet ruler) Ohatsu Katsuragi and her bodyguards, which happened to be Oto shinobi disguised as Kumo jounin.

From Suna: Godaime Kazekage Gaara of the Sands and his bodyguards (and siblings) Temari and Kankuro.

Also present, was the Emperor and Empress Consort of the Imperial Nation.

* * *

Pekara Merchant House - Iron Country Branch.

The Pekara Merchant House's Iron Branch was a walled compound located several blocks away from where the Kage Summit meeting was being held. Eiji Kibagami was instrumental in getting a trading alliance with Iron Country, as he had relatives living there.

Inside one of the offices within the compound, Naruto and Hinata Namikaze were finishing up their preparations. As this was a formal affair, Naruto and Hinata were dressed for the occasion. As Naruto had long since stopped wearing orange, his attire was mostly black, having embraced the Western style of clothing: vest, pants and boots. The tight-collared shirt was white. His longcoat hung on a rack, as did the black Kage-style hat.

Hinata was also finishing her own preparations. She was dressed in a red cheongsam dress with a black lotus pattern, which showed off her curvaceous figure. A red rose was tucked inside her hair. She wore no makeup, which enhanced her beauty.

The couple, along with their Elite Guard, had arrived in Iron Country via the Demon's Gate hours before the Kages were due to arrive, as there was no place for the Imperial Nation's airship to land. Following the inspection of the Pekara Compound, Naruto and Hinata made their preparations to crash the Kage Summit.

Hinata turned to her husband, who had just slipped on his longcoat. "Ready?"

Naruto nodded as he placed the Kage-style hat on his head. "Ready."

* * *

The Kage Summit.

A massive council chamber, consisting of a round table in the center of the room. Iron Samurai guarded the room, making sure that everything remained civil between the five kages and their respective bodyguards.

From Mifune's left, going clockwise, sat Godaime Mizukage Terumi, Godaime Hokage Senju, Sandaime Tsuchikage Onoki, Godaime Kazakage Gaara of the Sand, and last, Godaime Raikage Katsuragi. Flanking them were their respective bodyguards. There was a space that was directly opposite of Tsunade which was empty.

"For those of you who do not know who I am," Mifune began, "I am Mifune, Leader of Iron Country, and General of the Samurai forces here. On behalf of the people of Iron Country, I welcome you to my home. I will be acting as mediator for this meeting of the kages." He turned to Tsunade. "Godaime Hokage, you have the floor."

"Thank you, General," Tsunade said. Clearing her throat, she began to speak. "Fellow Kages...the threat of the Akatsuki has passed with its destruction. But there is a new threat on the rise. A threat that can not only destabilize the fragile balance of the Elemental Countries, but can destroy them."

Gaara's eyes narrowed, as did Mei's. They knew exactly what the Godaime was speaking of.

"I am talking about the Unified Western Empire and its so-called leaders, Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga," Tsunade finished. "From what Jiraiya has told me following his visit to the West, the Imperial Nation's military might is far more stronger than the those of our villages combined. What the East has seen with the destruction of the Akatsuki was nothing but a sample of what Uzumaki can muster."

"I disagree with your claims, Lady Hokage," Gaara said, coming to the defense of his friend. "Emperor Namikaze is not a threat to anyone of us here. Your opinion of him has been biased ever since the day he was born. Your actions in banishing him following the Retrieval Mission of the Uchiha has shown that."

"Indeed," Onoki said, knowing full well that the Emperor was the son of the infamous Yellow Flash, as well as of the circumstances surrounding Uzumaki's banishment. "Despite the Stone's issues with the Yellow Flash, it makes no sense in banishing a genin when he was successful in completing his mission, while giving a pardon to the genin who attempted to defect to a potential traitor. Had this taken place in Iwa, the Uchiha runt would have been executed, Sharingan be damned."

"Second, had Uzumaki had any ill will towards any of us," Mei continued, "then he would have invaded the East a long time ago. I agree with my Suna counterpart. Your opinion of him is flawed. His exploits in the East are of public knowledge. It was through him that the Leaf gained its many alliances. Ironic as it by the Uchiha that they were taken away."

Tsunade gritted her teeth as she balled her hands into fists. That part was true.

"In any event," Katsuragi, "from what I have observed, Uzumaki is not a threat to any of us. We all have heard of the reports coming from Suna. Yourself, Jiraiya, and several high-ranking shinobi confronted and fought the Emperor and Empress in the village streets."

Onoki cackled. "Oh, I would give anything to have been there. The look on your faces when the gaki that you, Jiraiya and all of Konoha had written off as worthless must have been priceless. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, the dead last, now discovered to be the Emperor of the West. Add the fact that both he and his wife had humbled you and your shinobi are a bonus."

"'Humbled?'" Tsunade repeated, rising from her seat. "'Humbled?!' Sixteen of my ANBU are dead! Kakashi Hatake, the last of the Yondaime's students, is dead! Jiraiya, my teammate, lost his arm at his hands! One of my shinobi had his back broken in such a way that not even I could fix it! And there are the wounded!"

"You want to pick a fight with me, Senju?" Onoki taunted, hopping to his feet. "You really shouldn't. Konoha is not looking very good now. You're no longer the strongest of the villages. Not after your actions in Suna, which had left a black eye upon the Leaf."

Mifune cleared his throat, getting the attention of the two kages. His silent glare told them to stand down, of which the Sandaime and the Godaime did. Behind Onoki, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi grinned.

"Personally, I would rather fight that brat who calls himself 'Emperor' instead of you," Tsunade said. "He is nothing without that title, or the Rinnegan. I underestimated him the last time. It will not happen again."

"You really should be careful what you wish for, Godaime Hokage," a voice said from the door, causing everyone to turn to the now-open doors. "It may just backfire on you in the most extreme way."

Stepping into the room, longcoat fluttering behind him, was the Emperor and Empress of the Imperial Nation. Behind them, were two of their bodyguards - a woman who was dressed similar to Tsunade with tattoos and a Seiseibushi-level onna-bugeisha identified by her khaki flak vest as a member of the Hellcats.

Mifune rose from his chair. "Emperor Namikaze. Empress Namikaze. You honor my home with your presence. May I ask what you and your wife are doing here?" he asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

"Hinata and I are here on the tail end of my inspection tour of the Pekara Merchant Houses in the East," Naruto explained smoothly. "As per to Imperial tradition, we have come to pay our respects to the current ruler of the country." He looked around the room, studying the five Kages and their bodyguards. "It appears that my wife and I have come at an unexpected time."

"Quite the contrary," Mifune said. "The topic was about the both of you and the Western Empire."

"Yes, **Emperor**," Tsunade said, pronouncing Naruto's title with sarcasm. "We have some questions we would like answered."

Naruto looked at his wife, who nodded. "Of course," he said. "There's nothing wrong with a small chat. Very good for the soul."

Two more chairs were brought in and placed beside the Godaime Raikage. Naruto and Hinata walked over and took their seats, Benisato and Sana standing behind the Emperor and Empress. Naruto removed his hat and placed it on the table, as with the other kages. Tsunade was doing her very best not to try and knock his head off, but she managed to keep her composure.

"For those of you who don't know who I am, or to those who are meeting me for the first time," Naruto began, "I am Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, former genin of Konohagakure no Sato, now the First Sovereign Emperor of the Unified Western Empire."

"And I am his wife," Hinata continued. "Empress Consort Hinata Hyuuga Namikaze."

"So...it's true what the Godaime Hokage says about you, isn't it?" Onoki asked. "You are the son of Minato Namikaze?"

"I am," Naruto replied. "I am the legitimate heir of Minato Namikaze and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze." He gestured to the two women behind him. "The women accompanying us are part of our Elite Guard. Major Benisato Mochizuki and Sana Sonshi. What you may have heard about the Western Empire is more than likely true. Yes, I was banished by the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato on trumped-up charges solely because I am the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Hinata came with me at her father's behest, in order to avoid being branded with the Caged Bird Seal."

Naruto could not reveal his trump card just yet, saying that he was the former Jinchuuriki of Kurama. Not yet. For five minutes, Naruto and Hinata had told the meeting of the Kages of his trials and tribulations in the West. First, he had killed Rokubungi Oda, said to be the strongest of the warlords. He told them of the two years he had spent as a warlord, unifying the continent, and Hinata laying the foundation of what would be the Imperial medic program, which trained shinobi and samurai. He told them that following the Unification Wars, he and Hinata were the undisputed rulers of the West.

"That's it," Naruto finished. "Hinata and I came from nothing. We clawed our way to the top of the mountain. The people recognize the both of us as the Emperor and Empress of the West."

**CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.**

Everyone turned to Tsunade. She was clapping sarcastically, while Tsume and Sakura had amused looks on their faces. "Bravo. You can spin a wonderful story, brat. I think Jiraiya could use that in his next book."

Naruto leaned back in his seat and chuckled. "You of all people know that I never lie about my skills, hag. It just burns at you, doesn't it? To see Sarutobi's plans into conditioning me into being Konoha's perfect weapon backfire? That when you could not control me, you banished me and sent the ANBU after me? How does it feel, knowing that Sarutobi is turning over in his grave at seeing his plans unfulfilled?"

"Be careful, Uzumaki," Tsunade warned, rising from her seat. "I can just as easily crush you like a bug."

"You tried, remember?" Naruto replied. "And what was the end result? Oh, that's right." He ticked off on his fingers. "Sixteen ANBU dead. Three maimed Jounin. One Sannin missing an arm. And Kakashi Hatake dead. And that was me and Hinata without trying. I am not the same gaki you once knew, Tsunade. You and all of Konoha should do well to remember that. The Akatsuki found out the hard way. You should be thanking me, Senju for eliminating the Akatsuki. Wiping them out was probably the most important event in the history of the Elemental Countries."

"And what is for you?" Onoki asked.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Tuesday."

Onoki chuckled. "I like this kid. Granted that his father was the Yellow Flash, the kid got spirit. And Iwa respects strength and honor. That, and the Western herbal tea your merchants sell has done wonders for my bad back."

"We are getting off subject here," Tsunade said. "There is still the matter of the Jinchuuriki." She leveled her gaze upon Naruto. "Do you not deny that you have all of the Jinchuuriki in your possession?"

"No. I will not deny it," Naruto said. "With the exception of General Nii and the Godaime Kazekage, I admit that I retrieved the Jinchuuriki from here, and offered them asylum within the Empire." Before Tsunade could say anything, Naruto continued. "I did this with the blessings and consent of the Damiyos of Earth, Lightning and Water, in exchange for a pledge of non-aggression on my end, and with me promising never to unleash the power of the Jinchuuriki upon their countries and villages. By taking the Jinchuuriki out of the picture, the playing field of the Elemental Countries has been reset."

"And yet, you used them in the war against the Akatsuki," Sakura pointed out. "You are a liar and a hypocrite."

Naruto snapped his gaze upon his former teammate. "I'm sorry, was I talking to you? Until I address you, Haruno, shut that hole between your nose and chin and reattach your lips to Senju's ass." Turning back to the assembled Kages, he addressed them, ignoring that Tsume was holding Sakura back. "Yes, I had the Jinchuuriki fight in the war with the Akatsuki, but I honored my promise not to unleash them upon the villages or the Elemental Countries. I asked them if they wanted some payback towards the Akatsuki and they agreed to come along."

"The damiyos may have agreed to your requests about the Jinchuuriki, but the Fire Damiyo didn't. And neither did I," Tsunade said. "The tailed beasts - and by extension the Jinchuuriki - are the property of the Senju clan. My grandfather gave the bijuu to the other shinobi villages. As the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, you will hand over the bijuu to me! And since you hold the strongest of the bijuu, I demand that you abdicate your throne and hand yourself over to face the justice of the Leaf!"

"Let me think about that...ah...um...no," Naruto replied.

"You dare refuse me?!" Tsunade snarled. "A Senju, and descendant of the Six Paths?!"

"I do. You seem to forget your history. The Uzumaki are the direct descendants of the Six Paths Sage, the original Jinchuuriki to the Ten-Tails. He split the power of the bijuu into nine beasts. You claim that just because of your family name, that the Jinchuuriki and by extension, Gaara and myself, are the property of the Leaf. In any case, the bijuu are not your property. The Jinchuuriki are under my protection. The Senju and the Uchiha are not blood relatives to the Six Paths. He adopted them and trained them, but they are not of his blood."

Onoki, Mei, Mifune and Katsuragi watched this soap opera play out between the Emperor and the Godaime Hokage.

"I don't care what you think! The Jinchuuriki are the property of the Senju clan! This is not open for discussion! You will hand them over to me now!"

Naruto's next question caught Tsunade off guard. "Did you see my mother the same way?"

"Wh-What?" Tsunade stuttered,

"It's a simple question. You of all people know that my mother was the Jinchuuriki to the Fox, as was your grandmother was before her," Naruto continued. "You blamed me for her death, when it was clear that it was Obito Uchiha who was responsible. Did you see my mother - your niece - as property to the Senju, despite her status? Answer the question, Senju."

"I...I don't have to answer that," Tsunade shot back.

"Of course you do," Naruto replied, his voice ice cold. "Since as you claim that the Jinchuuriki are the property of the Senju - of which I, too am a member of since Mito Uzumaki is a member of the Uzumaki clan - did you see my mother as property of the Leaf, despite her being the Damiyo of Whirlpool, as well as your niece? Answer me, Senju."

The tension in the room was thick. The other four kages watched as the standoff between the Godaime Hokage and the Emperor of the West stared the other down.

"I see the answer in your eyes, Senju. Despite the fact that my mother was the ruler of Whirlpool...despite the fact you saw her as the daughter you never had...you did see her as property," Naruto said.

"So what if I did?" Tsunade snarled. "Kushina was like a daughter to me, yes, I admit. But she held the power of the Kyuubi! A power that belonged to the Leaf! To my clan! Not yours!"

"Temper, temper, Senju," Naruto childed. "You really shouldn't get your blood pressure up at your age. But if you continue down this road, thinking that Konoha is still the strongest of the shinobi villages when it is not, seeing as how four of its clans and over two hundred jounin are under my protection, you are sadly mistaken. The only reason why I haven't decided to wipe the Leaf from the map is because seeing you and the village suffer because of your actions amuse me. But make no mistake, Senju. You, nor Konoha, nor the Fire Damiyo are in no position to make demands of myself or of the Imperial Nation."

He slowly rose from his chair, directing his killer intent at Tsunade and her bodyguards, his eyes shimmering into the Rinnegan, his voice becoming ice cold. "If you wish to go to war...I'll be more than happy to oblige you. You are already on thin ice with me for betraying not only my parents, but also the Uzumaki Clan. If you declare war on the Empire out of some misguided attempt at revenge, Gaara's Desert Burial will look merciful compared to what the Imperial Nation can do. You go to war with me, I guarantee that Konohagakure will be nothing more than a memory. The Leaf will be nothing more but a rumor. It will have never...**existed**."

'Yow. Scary,' Gaara thought.

Even Shukaku agreed with his tenant. **"This one agrees."**

'Note to self: Do not piss the Emperor off,' Onoki and Kurotsuchi both thought at the same time. Onoki was glad that he had let the old hatred of the Yondaime die. It was known that his son was the leader of the West, and that he hated Konoha with a passion. So long as the West honored the non-aggression pact, then Iwa had no problem with the Empire.

'Lord Orochimaru will have to be notified of this,' Katsuragi thought.

'Impressive, Namikaze,' Mei thought.

His threat made clear, Naruto's eyes went back to normal. Retrieving his hat, he placed it on his head as Hinata stood up. Turning to Mifune, he said, "General Mifune, on behalf of the Unified West, we thank you for your hospitality."

Mifune nodded. Giving one more glare to Tsunade and her bodyguards, the Imperial group strode to the door, but stopped.

"Oh. I almost forgot," Naruto said, turning around. He turned to Sana, and nodded. Sana produced six scrolls and tossed them to each of the kages, who caught them.

"What's this?" Onoki asked, not daring to open the scroll.

"In two months, the Unification Festival will take place," Naruto explained. "The highlight of the festival is the Imperial Kumite, which is held in South Ichiyama. What you hold in your hands is an invitation to the tournament. No kage can participate. Bring four of your strongest shinobi and samurai to compete. The winner of the tournament will earn 20 million ryo for their respective village and the title of champion. That invite you hold in you hands also promises safe conduct through the Imperial Nation."

"I'll be there," Tsunade said. "Just to see the look on your face when we show that the Will of Fire is strong enough to crush any and all challengers. Including your own fighters."

"The 'Will of Fire...'" Naruto repeated. "Konoha's Will of Fire no longer burns. It has been extinguished by your hypocrisy, your fear, your bigotry, and your hatred. Tell me something, Senju...did the Leaf ever gained back any of those alliances that I earned for them during my time as a genin?"

Tsunade's response was to glare at Naruto.

"Didn't think so," Naruto said, looking smug. "Half of the people in the East don't trust you, or Konoha, and for good reason. It would be bad for business to hire a village known for rewarding potential traitors and punishing heroes. Hopefully, I will see you all in South Ichiyama."

The other Kages nodded and the Imperial group walked out of the meeting chambers. Naruto's smug grin never leaving his face.

Konoha's downfall has begun.


	9. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Snafu's Notes: to SoulEmbrace2010: even though it is a bit late, yes, the Will-Elizabeth wedding scene was referenced in this story in the form of Naruto and Hinata's wedding in South Ichiyama. Would have been more funnier if I had Hidan conducting it, as he is a priest, but Yugito will do. Last, I have modeled Ichiyama Coliseum after the Conqueror's Coliseum from Soulcalibur 5.

South Ichiyama, Unified Western Empire - two months later.

Following Naruto's appearance at the Kage Summit and him delivering the invites to the Kages and Mifune, Tsunade had returned to Konoha and summoned the Council to tell them of this recent development. Sasuke Uchiha was the first to volunteer with Danzou's backing. Yugao Uzuki and Asuma Sarutobi also signed on, as his rehab would be finished by then and he would be placed back on active duty. Last, was Sakura Haruno. Accompanying Tsunade and her team to South Ichiyama was Jiraiya and a representative from the Fire Damiyo.

South Ichiyama was one of the Southern Region's largest cities, home to a thriving tourist industry. The largest city in the Southern Region was home to several casinos, geisha houses, and even a brothel. The city itself was built around a small mountain, the mountain itself now the largest stadium on the continent. It was also the site of the final battle of the Unification Wars, and the site of where Naruto and Hinata's forces had signed the treaty which ended the Unification Wars and had brought a new age to the West. Tears' Point, the memorial shrine built to honor the casualties of the Unification Wars, was located three miles away from where the treaty was signed.

It was also the eve of the Imperial Kumite - the annual tournament that the Unified Western Empire held once a year. The best of the best were invited to compete for honor, wealth and prestige in the Imperial Nation. It made the Preliminary Chuunin Tournament that Konoha had held during Naruto and Hinata's time as Genin look like a schoolyard fight. The Imperial Kumite was no-holds-barred, anything goes. Jutsu and weapons were allowed. Bloodline-based abilities were allowed, and the Ichiyama Coliseum was specifically designed for that purpose.

Neji Hyuuga and Rock Lee had fought in the Imperial Kumite the first time in the previous year. Suffice to say, they both learned quick that the fighters played for keeps. Despite making it to the semi-finals, Neji was defeated by A, the year's previous champion, and Rock Lee was beaten by Takeshi Chiba. This time around, the former Raikage decided not to join in the fray, but rather watch from the sidelines. This year, however, the Kumite was different, as this time the five major shinobi villages were invited to the tournament.

However, the tournament had a secondary purpose, as it had something to do with **Operation Scorched Leaf**.

That secondary purpose was the humiliation of Konohagakure no Sato, the Godaime Hokage, Fire Country and last, Sasuke Uchiha. With this final humiliation, Sasuke would do his part and leave for Otogakure no Sato.

South Ichiyama was also the summer home of the Emperor, the Imperial Villa being the summer palace of the Emperor and Empress Consort. A good portion of the summer was spent in the Southern Region, beginning at the tail end of the Unification Festival, as Naruto and Hinata inspected the Pekara Merchant Houses in the region and visited the villages. It was half the size of the Imperial Complex, but it was still spacious enough for the Namikaze clan and their guests.

Naruto and Hinata Namikaze had arrived in South Ichiyama a week earlier with their child, Minato. Hiashi Hyuuga, Hanabi Hyuuga, Neji and Tenten Hyuuga also accompanied them, along with little Hizashi.

In the year following their arrival in the West, Hiashi had became a respected member of the Imperial Council. Hanabi had taken over as head of the Hyuuga Clan, and was a powerful kunoichi in her own right. It was even rumored that she was romantically involved with Takeshi Chiba. Neji had became the commander of the military police assigned to protect Kimon and the surrounding areas. His wife, Tenten was a valued member of Yugito's Hellcats.

Hiashi and the council knew of Operation: Scorched Leaf, and had given Naruto and Hinata their full blessings on the matter. Aside from the occasional threat from Konohagakure and from the Fire Damiyo, they could do nothing. When Tsunade threatened to invade both Wave and Spring, Naruto had retaliated by threatening to unleash the Hiraishin upon Konohagakure's shinobi. If his father had killed three hundred Iwa shinobi in the last war, then what would happen if he used the Hiraishin with a couple of shadow clones?

* * *

Imperial Villa, South Ichiyama - nighttime.

Although smaller than the Imperial Palace in Kimon, the Imperial Villa was more than spacious enough to accommodate the extra guests. Aside from the Namikaze family, there were Naruto's in-laws and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio came to visit, Haku tagging along with Ino. Ino was competing in the Imperial Kumite, as her opponent - through Naruto's machinations - was Sakura Haruno. Shikamaru and Chouji were not competing this year.

"Gaara's due to arrive tomorrow, from what Temari has told me," Shikamaru said as they sat inside the courtyard, Ino and Tenten were playing with Minato and Hizashi. "The Godaime will also be accompanied by representatives from the Wind Damiyo's council."

"Just in time for the start of the Kumite," Naruto said.

"Just so you know, Tsunade and the Konoha-Fire group has arrived earlier today," Ino continued. "Sasuke was among the group. That, and Asuma almost got into a fight with Okajima-sensei when Asuma saw him with us."

"I know," Naruto replied. "The Tengu came to me to 'personally request' that he would be the one to fight Asuma in the Kumite. And I've granted it."

"Isn't this troublesome? I mean stacking the deck against Konoha on purpose?" Shikamaru asked.

"If I wanted to be unfair, I would have the Four Devas compete in the tournament," Naruto explained. "But there's the other four shinobi villages. I really don't have to turn the odds in the West's favor. Inviting the other nations here is nothing more than an act of goodwill, to show the naysayers that my intentions are genuine. Well, that and the prize money is far too tempting to ignore."

"Jiraiya has been seen sneaking around Ichiyama," Hiashi said. "My guess is to check out the competition, to see which of the fighters from here and from the other villages is a major threat to Konoha winning."

One-year-old Minato gurgled while in Ino's arms.

"Wouldn't put it past the Perv to try and sneak in here," Naruto said.

Following the confrontation in Iron Country, Jiraiya had found out through a contact of his in Spring Country that Koyuki was the godson to Naruto and Hinata's child, who was named after Konoha's greatest hero. Jiraiya was furious, as was Tsunade. But they could no do anything, as Tsunade remembered Naruto's threat from the Kage Summit.

_"If you wish to go to war...I'll be more than happy to oblige you. You are already on thin ice with me for betraying not only my parents, but also the Uzumaki Clan. If you declare war on the Empire out of some misguided attempt at revenge, Gaara's Desert Burial will look merciful compared to what the Imperial Nation can do. You go to war with me, I guarantee that Konohagakure will be nothing more than a memory. The Leaf will be nothing more but a rumor. It will have never...**existed.**"_

Hiashi decided to change the subject. "So this is the city where you and Naruto had gotten married during the final battle?" When his daughter and son-in-law nodded, he went on. "You know, Minato proposed to Kushina in the midst of a skirmish with a group of nukenin just as the last Shinobi War had started. I was there, as I was your father's former teammate."

Seeing as how the others were looking on in interest, Naruto and Hinata nodded. The Emperor took Minato from Ino as Hinata began to tell the story, the baby gurgling as it took handfuls of his father's hair.

"South Ichiyama was the final stronghold of the remaining three warlords," Hinata began. "We had been fighting long and hard for two long years, uniting the West. South Ichiyama was the last. Winner takes all. If we won, the the West would finally be at peace. If we lost, then the West would revert back to where we had found it when we arrived. The three warlords - Oboa, Rama and Jo, were minor warlords, but they combined their forces and fortified the city. Always, before a battle, Naruto would offer terms to his opponents. The terms of surrender were generous, as they had always been, which was the main reason why we were successful to begin with: come to his side willingly and fight for a greater cause - to bring peace to the lands. Jo was the smart one. He came to our side. Oboa and Rama wanted a fight, and we obliged."

"The battle raged for three hours," Naruto continued, smiling both at his son, who was now asleep and at the memory. "Oboa and Rama were holed up inside the stadium, and we had the place surrounded. It was Kurama, Hinata, Haku, Zabuza and myself leading the charge..."

* * *

[Flashback]

_South Ichiyama, the conclusion of the Unification Wars._

_Naruto Namikaze and Hinata Hyuuga were fighting back-to-back; Naruto with his O-katana and Hiraishin kunais, while Hinata had her Bykaugan activated, and kukri knives in her hands. Nearby, Zabuza Momichi and Haku were fighting with members of Zabuza's Demon Brigade and Yugito Nii teamed up with Kurama in taking down the enemy troops. _

_Suddenly, Naruto had a moment of inspiration. 'Fortune favors the bold,' as Sonshi once told him. He spun Hinata around, slashing at a samurai with his O-katana. "Hinata...marry me!"_

_Had this been at any other time, Hinata would have squealed like a school girl. Had she been a genin, she would have fainted. But they were in the middle of a heated battle, one that would forever decide the fate of the West. "Now?! This isn't the best time!" she shouted back._

_"Are you kidding?" Naruto shot back, blocking an incoming blade with his sword and stabbing the offending samurai with his kunai, leaving it embedded in his throat. "Now may be the only time! I love you, Hinata and I've made my choice! What's yours?"_

_Hinata's Bykaugan deactivated. She had admired Naruto for a long time, and that admiration had turned to love following their banishment. He believed in her, and he loved her. In return, she loved him back._

_"Kurama!" Hinata shouted to the redheaded woman. "Marry us!"_

_Her nine fox tails waving around her body as if they had a life of their own, Kurama had slashed her way through a group of shinobi, even going as far as to impale them and fling their bodies away by using her tails. "I'm indisposed at the moment!"_

_Naruto saw that Yugito was close by, fighting on a raised platform alongside Zabuza. "Yugito!" he shouted, taking Hinata's hand. "Marry us! Now!"_

_"Now?!" was Yugito's reply._

_"Yes! NOW!" Hinata shouted, impaling a shinobi with her kukri. "Make it quick!"_

_"Fine then!" Yugito shouted. Taking a minor break from the fighting, with Zabuza backing her, she conducted the impromptu ceremony as Naruto and Hinata continued to fight. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."_

_"...to nail your asses to the wall!" Zabuza interrupted, impaling his opponent with the Head Chopping Cleaver before kicking him off the blade._

_After hacking several shinobi into Western kibble, Naruto grasped Hinata's free hand again. "Do you, Hinata Hyuuga, take me to be your husband?"_

_Hinata nodded eagerly. "Yes!"_

_"Awesome!" Naruto rejoiced...right before planting a Rasengan into a shinobi attempting to attack Hinata from behind. At the same time, Hinata flung her remaining kukri into another samurai trying to cheap-shot Naruto. Naruto retrieved Hinata's kukri and tossed it back to her._

_"Do you, Naruto Namikaze..." Hinata began, pausing to Jyuuken strike a shinobi in the heart, "...take me to be your wife? For better or worse, and in sickness and in health?"_

_"You mean with the last part about health being less likely?" Naruto replied. "I do!"_

_"Great!" Hinata rejoiced as more fighting ensued, forcing the couple to fight back-to-back._

_"As Hellcat General," Yugito concluded, "I pronounce you husband and..." She stopped as she caught a kunai from the air and tossed it back to the offending party, killing her instantly. "You may kiss..." she attempted again, but had to flip off the platform to avoid being attacked from the sides. After dispatching the both of them with Zabuza's help, she tried to speak again. "You may kiss..."_

_Once again, she was interrupted. However, Haku and his ice senbon had made the save._

_On the ground below, the fighting intensified as the bodycount around Naruto and Hinata grew, Naruto having to create several some space using the Shinra Tensei, blowing the attackers back. _

_This time, Yugito and Zabuza turned to the young couple. "JUST KISS!" the former Mist swordsman and the female Jinchuuriki shouted._

_Naruto grabbed Hinata with his free hand and pulled her close. "I owe you a real wedding after this is all over," he said._

_"I'll hold you to that," was Hinata's reply before they kissed._

[End Flashback]

* * *

"After the impromptu ceremony," Naruto concluded, "we managed to rout the remaining forces. Oboa and Rama saw that the fighting was futile and gave the order to stand down. A week later, they both formally surrendered, promising not to raise arms against us. With the Declaration of Surrender, the Unification Wars were at an end. A couple of days later, Hinata and I had a formal, private ceremony back in Kimon. Two weeks after that, we were named Emperor and Empress Consort of the West."

Tenten, cradling Hizashi, was amazed. "That was just...wow," was all she said.

Neji nodded. "I'll say," he seconded. "A wedding in the midst of battle? That must have been something."

"Troublesome, if you ask me," Shikamaru said. "If Temari finds out, she'll probably demand why I did not propose to her the same way you did to Hinata during the Akatsuki Invasion."

"Murasaki Shibiku immortalized our wedding in her last novel," Hinata said. "You probably saw that scene in Koyuki's last film."

"I thought that looked familiar," Hiashi said, a fan of the Spring Damiyo's films.

Naruto handed Minato to his grandfather. "If you excuse us, Hiashi," he said as he and Hinata stood up.

Hiashi nodded as his son-in-law led his daughter our of the room.

* * *

Out in the Imperial Villa's gardens, Naruto enjoyed the South Ichiyama night, his wife by his side. It was times like these that he could forget that he was the Emperor, or that he was a warrior. He was just Naruto.

"This is nice. Remember the last time we were here for the first anniversary and Zabuza got drunk and tried to hit on Sana?" Naruto asked.

"The one where Sonshi chased after him with his family swords screaming bloody murder? I remember that. The Demon of Kimon being chased by a man twice his age," Hinata replied. "Have I ever told you that I'm pregnant?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Once," he replied.

Hinata grinned and held up two fingers. "Better make that twice, love."

It then dawned on what Naruto was saying. Hinata was pregnant. Again. "That's great!" he said, as he picked her up and spun her around in the air before setting her down. "Minato will have either a brother or sister!"

* * *

Meanwhile...

Sneaking into the Imperial Villa was easy enough for Jiraiya. He was, after all Konoha's resident spymaster. On Tsunade's orders, he was to check around South Ichiyama, and size up the competition from the other villages and the local fighters as well. Aside from the Western fighters, the main threat was one of the Four Devas who has decided to enter the contest - the Shogun of the Violent Lightning himself, Rasu. Hayate Okajima - of which Asuma had a confrontation with earlier that day - was number two.

His recon mission complete, Jiraiya snuck into the Imperial Villa. As Jiraiya had found out, there were no guards, no type of security whatsoever. Even the Imperial Complex was crawling with shinobi and samurai guards when Jiraiya and the others had came to Kimon a year earlier. The Imperial Villa had none.

'Probably because the gaki doesn't think that anyone would not dare to break into his home,' Jiraiya thought as he watched Naruto and Hinata from his hiding place within the gardens. 'Seriously, what kind of ruler is he not to have any kind of protection?'

Then again, Jiraiya had forgotten as to who he was dealing with. What Jiraiya did not know was that the Imperial Villa had not only a squad of Imperial Guards on site, but also a series of seals which served as a first-response alarm to any intruders.

Which is where Kurama steps in.

"Hey. Old man."

Jiraiya flinched as he felt a woman tap his shoulder. Cursing to himself at being caught, he slowly turned around...

...and found himself face-to-face with Kurama, the bijuu queen cracking her knuckles, giving the one-armed-pervert a fanged grin.

"Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" Kurama asked, just as she chambered her arm back and...

**POW.**

Chakra-powered fist met chin, and Jiraiya was launched on a impromptu aerial tour of South Ichiyama.

* * *

From their spot in the gardens, Naruto and Hinata watched as Kurama emerged from the woods. Naruto had knew that Jiraiya was there, which was why he had sent Kurama out to intercept him.

"So," Naruto began, "where did you knock the old pervert to?"

Kurama's grin grew as she gave them her answer.

* * *

The Blue Dragon Resort was a hot springs resort located in the outskirts of the city. The Blue Dragon was originally a brothel before it had became a hot springs resort, its owner a former madam who saw that tourism was more profitable than flesh. Of course that meant that the other brothels had more business coming their way, but that was how business usually went.

The Blue Dragon was full to capacity, with visiting dignitaries from throughout the region, as with most of the inns and hotels, the White Destiny being reserved for the visiting kages and their shinobi from the East.

Mei Terumi, Kurotsuchi, Benisato Mochizuki, Sana Sonshi, Yugito Nii, and Kasumi Aihara were gathered around Murasaki Shikibu, the West's most beloved writer of poems and romantic stories. Born Fujiwara Takako, she had been born poor in the era before the arrival of Naruto and Hinata. At fifteen, she had gained the attention of a local warlord for her short stories and had gotten her a job in his court. When she turned nineteen, she had married his son, a samurai.

That was sixteen years ago. Now, her husband was a respected official responsible for maintaining order in the Shinokou region, and she was a celebrated writer. The Empress Consort was a huge fan of her work, while she had got to meet Spring Damiyo Kazahana, who adopted some of her works into a couple of her films, thanks to the Emperor. Murasaki was well-loved and respected by the people in the Empire.

As Murasaki entertained her company with a story from her childhood, the moment was ruined when a white-haired, one-armed Toad Sage came screaming from the skies, landing in the waters with a splash, having been forcibly ejected from the Imperial Villa via Kurama's fist. When Jiraiya managed to crawl out of the water, he felt the killer intent wash over him like a tsunami. Sure he had been caught peeping before, and was belted with numerous wooden buckets.

Instead, he found himself facing one furious Mizukage, an irate blonde Jinchuuriki, her battle aura taking on the form of the Two-Tails, two royally-pissed granddaughters of the Tsuchikage and the Legendary Samurai respectively, the latter already having drawn her sword, one less-than amused Snake Queen, her snakes coiled around her body, ready to strike and one angry writer.

As the angry women closed in, Jiraiya could only whimper in response for the inevitable beatdown that was to come.

* * *

Inside the Imperial Villa...

Shikamaru stopped in mid-drink and turned his attention elsewhere. "Troublesome," he said.

"What? What is it?" Hanabi asked.

"I felt a disturbance," the lazy Nara replied. "As if a man was screaming for mercy and was silenced. I'd bet my mission salary that the bothersome bastard pissed off a woman...or several."

Neji shrugged. "Better him than us."

Shikamaru chuckled as he raised his cup. "I'll drink to that."

* * *

In another inn somewhere in Ichiyama...

The sake cup in which Tsunade was drinking out of broke. 'Why do I have the strange feeling that Jiraiya had done something stupid again?' she thought.

* * *

Back at the Blue Dragon...

The mangled, broken body of Jiraiya was embedded in the rocks. All he could managed to get out was, "Owwie...I...hurt."

He would be taken to the hospital, and Tsunade would be notified of the incident...as well as being billed for the damages.

* * *

Ichiyama Coliseum.

Ichiyama Coliseum was the largest of the Imperial Nation's arenas.

Three times as big than the stadium Konoha uses for its Chuunin Exams and as tall as a three-story-building, it was said that as the first Jinchuuriki, the Six Paths had built the arena out of a small mountain using the power of the Ten-Tails and reinforced it with seals. To anyone who had seen the stadium for the first time, it was a mesmerizing sight

The interior of the coliseum was an impressive sight. Surrounded by crystal-blue water, the arena itself a massive square platform, held in place by four giant statues of the Six Paths Sage via stone chains. The arena was accessible only by bridge, then were retracted. Within the coliseum's walls, a series of triage centers were located, Hinata's medic corps were on standby to tend to the injuries of the wounded fighters.

The Imperial Kumite had fifty fighters, with twenty of them from the East. Before heading out into the stands, they had met with Anko Mitarashi inside a meeting room underneath the stadium, who was explaining the rules of the Imperial Kumite, having herself competed in a couple of them. As Anko explained the rules, she ignored the Konohagakure shinobi, knowing full well of the fate that was in store for them.

"You all have signed the non-disclosure agreements in which you could not blame the Imperial Nation for what happens in the tournament. This tournament is single-round elimination. The rules for the Kumite are simple: full contact, anything goes. Weapons and jutsu are allowed. Any bloodline-related abilities are allowed. The matches are one-on-one, and you can win by knockout, submission, knocking your opponent out of the arena, and my personal favorite, make your opponent say 'matte.'"

"'Matte?'" an Iwa shinobi parroted.

"Saying 'matte,' is the same as saying 'Uncle,'" Anko explained. "Forcing your opponent to say 'matte' is to the loser, the most humiliating way to lose a match."

From his place, Sasuke glared at Rasu, who ignored him as if he was a bug.

"Good luck, cause you're going to need it," Anko finished. "And one more thing..." Her face split into a maniacal grin. "Try not to die!"

* * *

At the northern end of the stadium, was the booth reserved for the Emperor and Empress Consort, the Imperial Council, and their guests, taking up the top two rows of the coliseum. The upper and lower sections of the massive booth had stairs for easier access. The Kages of the East were present, each of them dressed in their robes of state and their respective hats. General Mifune was also present, but had decided not to let several of his men compete. Tsunade Senju was also present, along with Jiraiya – his remaining arm in a sling, broken leg in a cast, a neck brace around his neck and his jaw wired shut – and a representative of the Fire Lord's Court and several of his Guardian Ninja. Guarding the two Sannin were Kurenai Yuuhi and Yamato. Unknown to Tsunade and Jiraiya – but known to Naruto and Hinata – Kabuto Yakushi was also present, disguised as a member of the Raikage's personal guard.

Kabuto was there to keep an eye out on Sasuke, and not to antagonize the Western Empire in any shape, form or fashion.

Naruto was standing on the platform along with Hinata, taking in the sights of the crowd, absorbing the cheers of the crowd. From the stands, the Konoha group – Sasuke Uchiha, Asuma Sarutobi, Sakura Haruno and Yugao Uzuki – tried to radiate as much as killed intent, but the couple in the arena did not seem to notice. Naruto raised one hand, and the crowd instantly went silent. Using his chakra to amplify his voice, Naruto began to speak.

"It has been three long years since the beginning of a new era for all of us. A new era of peace, order and prosperity. Five years ago, I was but a warlord with a dream. That dream was to unite this land, to bring about a peace which has not been seen since the time of my great ancestor, the Rikudo Sennin. Through our blood, sweat and tears, we have made that dream into a reality. Through our hard work...through our perseverance...the Unified Western Empire has thrived!"

The audience erupted into cheers. Again, Naruto brought them into silence.

Hinata spoke next. "We are honored to have with us, the kages of the East, as well as the representatives of their respective Damiyos. We hope that your experience here in the Western Empire is a pleasant one. To the brave men and women who are competing in the Imperial Kumite, my husband I wish you the best of luck."

'You four are going to need it,' Naruto thought darkly as he glared at the Konoha shinobi, his own kage-style hat hiding his face from view.

"From this moment on...this coliseum is now your battleground," Hinata concluded. "Let the Imperial Kumite begin!"

The crowd once again erupted into cheers as Naruto and Hinata returned to their booth via shunshin.

* * *

Inside the booth, sat the Imperial Council, the the five kages and the representatives from the damiyos. Also present was Koyuki Kazahana, who was there alongside her husband, the Kage of Spring, Koichi Fujimura. Koichi had originally been Koyuki's bodyguard following Cell Seven's mission into what was Snow Country, and had stepped down in order to become kage of the Village Hidden in the Snow. Of course, they both agreed on that their children would have her last name.

Naruto and Hinata appeared inside the booth and took their seats. Minato, having been placed in Kurama's care, was handed off to his mother from Kurama.

"I must say, my boy," Onoki began, "you know how to work the crowd here."

"It comes with practice," Naruto replied.

Tsunade ignored the two men, having rather decding to take a pull from a sake bottle. Down on the arena, Kintaro Kagami and Zabuza Momochi were having an exhibition match in the form of a swordfight. The Demon of Kimon and the Strongman of the Scorched Earth had a competitive, yet fierce rivalry stemming back from the Unification Wars. The Imperial Council and the five Kages watched as the two swordsmen dueled to the delight of the crowd.

From the sidelines, the Konoha group watched the battle, leaking killer intent. To the four, who were present in Suna during the Konoha-Imperial Conflict, the former Mist swordsman was the one who had killed Hatake.

Inside the booth, the five Kages and the Imperial Council watched as the fight intensified. "Zabuza has improved," Mei noted. "Back in Mist, he was so hotheaded and rash. I think spending time in the West has done him some good."

"Don't worry," Naruto replied. "He's still the sociopath you come to know and respect. In fact, the only one who can match him is Anko. Come to think of it, I think that Zabuza is quite the masochist."

On the other side, sat the Godaime Kazekage of Suna, Gaara. "I believe congratulations are in order," he said. "Matsuri has told me the news. Hinata is pregnant again."

"I should be congratulating you as well, as it appears that your wife is also expecting," Naruto replied.

Out on the arena, the battle ended in a standoff, Zabuza and Kintaro's respective blades resting against the other's throats. The crowd erupted in cheers as both men took several steps back and bowed to one another before vanishing via shunshin.

"So how long is the Imperial Kumite?" Mei asked.

"It continues until a champion is crowned," Naruto said. "A was the previous year's champion. Zabuza was the previous year's champion."

"And you or Hinata don't compete?" Katsuragi asked.

"No. We do want to keep it fair," Hinata replied. "My husband and I don't compete in the tournament. Neither do the visiting leaders of the villages. The Imperial Kumite is designed to promote healthy competition and goodwill within the Empire. Whoever wins the Imperial Kumite is named champion, but cannot compete in the next year's Kumite. They have to wait until the year is up before competing again."

As Hinata and Naruto explained how the Kumite worked, Jiraiya and Tsunade settled back in their seats, thinking that the Leaf had the tournament in the bag. Given that they had the last Uchiha, a former Guardian Ninja, the vice-commander of the ANBU Black Ops Unit, and the feral Inuzuka, they were complacent in their superiority.

'Just you wait, gaki,' Tsunade thought darkly. 'Konoha will come out on top in the Imperial Kumite. And watching you admit that Konoha is the strongest village in the East will be so sweet.'

As the tournament progressed, Konoha had advanced through the first round, but it had not been easy. Asuma Sarutobi had eliminated a fighter from Iwa. Sasuke Uchiha had defeated a low-ranking Imperial Samurai. Sakura Haruno used her chakra-enhanced super strength to knock an Imperial ninja out of the ring. Yugao Uzuki managed to eke out a win by using the Dance of the Crescent Moon on a Mist shinobi.

As Tsunade and the others watched, Kurotsuchi of Iwa, two of Mei's Mist shinobi and Temari of Suna had also advanced through the tournament. On the Empire's side, were Ino Yamanaka, Hellcat members and Miko Himura and Tenten Hyuuga. Rasu of the Violent Lightning also made it through the tournament, as did Hayate Okajima, his only intention for fighting was to pound Asuma Sarutobi into the ground. Rock Lee was defeated by Neji, who in turn was beaten by Rasu. Sasuke had succeeded in knocking Mist out of the competition, much to Mei's dismay.

So ended Day One of the Imperial Kumite.

* * *

At one of South Ichiyama's training grounds, Sasuke Uchiha was going through a kata with his chokuto. He was alone, as the others from Konoha were back at their hotel. Tsunade and Jiraiya had went to a bar to drink and plan for the next day.

There was no plan, Saskue had deduced. He was in the Dobe's backyard, and by winning the Imperial Kumite, he would give his former teammate a serious black eye. That would be the first. He would prove to the Empire that the Uchiha was superior. Then he would pay the Dobe back for killing Itachi.

'And Hinata...' Saskue thought darkly. 'She knows how to carry herself in battle. She's even stronger than that weakling Haruno. I will break her in front of the Dobe. He is not worthy of being the ruler of these people. I will take his throne...and the Empire will bear the rebirth of the Uchiha."

"Trouble sleeping, Saskue Uchiha?"

Sasuke spun around, chokuto ready to impale the offending person dumb enough to intrude on his training.

Kabuto – still dressed as one of Katsuragi's bodyguards – emerged from the shadows, unmasked, allowing Sasuke to see his face. "Then again, if I found out that my former teammate was the ruler of an empire, I would have trouble sleeping as well," he said.

"So you know about that?" Sasuke sniped as he went back to his training.

"I did not know until after the Akatsuki invaded Suna," Kabuto explained. "I was there on Lord Orochimaru's orders when the Akatsuki came. But he has known about the Empire for quite some time. I was also there when the Akatsuki invaded, and fought under the guise of a Suna jounin. If the dead last and a insecure heiress could not only do that much damage to the Leaf, then the Leaf is severely lacking in training."

"..." Saskue remained silent.

"It goes to show that sometimes, the dead last can surprise you," Kabuto continued, noticing how Sasuke's grip on the chokuto was getting even tighter. "Look at Jiraiya. He was the dead last on his team. Now, he is one-third of the Legendary Sannin...although now he is missing an arm, but still..."

Sasuke turned around. "What do you want, Kabuto?" he asked icily.

"Nothing. Just stopped by for a friendly chat...and to check up on your progress," Kabuto continued. "Ironic, don't you think? The dead last stopped you the last time you tried to come to our side, and what did that get him? A one-way ticket out of Konoha. Now look at him. Emperor of the Western Empire. While you, on the other hand, despite being trained by the late 'Copycat' Hatake and the warhawk...well, to put it politely, you are stagnating in Konoha, despite wielding the Magenkyou. As much as you don't want to hear this, Uchiha, Naruto is stronger than you."

In response, Sasuke tried to cleave Kabuto in two, but found himself splitting a log in two instead.

"Did I touch a nerve, Sasuke?" Kabuto's voice rang out from the trees. "You can do much more. You can learn more under the best of the Legendary Sannin. You can learn how to better control your seal. Lord Orochimaru's offer is still open to you, Sasuke Uchiha."

With that, he was gone, leaving Sasuke alone with his thoughts. Kabuto did have a point. In the seven years following Uzumaki's banishment, he was pardoned for his attempted defection, but it came with a price. Sasuke – and all of Konoha – had underestimated the influence that the dead last-turned-Emperor had on the people he had met. In the seven years following the Dobe's banishment, he had been out of Fire Country only twice. Both times, he and Cell Seven had been attacked by rival shinobi. He had been placed under what he saw was virtual house arrest as a result.

Kabuto was right about another thing. Konoha had gotten weak in the years following Uzumaki's banishment. Add the fact that four of its clans had defected to the West and Suna had now taken Konoha's spot as the strongest of the village, Sasuke's opinion of the Leaf had plummeted even further.

'An Uchiha values strength above all things,' his father had told him. 'The strong leads, while the weak follows. That is the Uchiha way.'

Sasuke's patience in regards to Konoha was running thin. Orochimaru's offer was looking more attractive than ever.

* * *

Day Two of the Imperial Kumite.

The tournament continued with the semi-finals. Asuma Sarutobi had knocked off another Iwa shinobi, leaving Kurotsuchi. Saskue Uchiha had trouble with his latest opponent, but had powered on through with a Chidori to the chest. Thankfully, his opponent had survived the assassination jutsu. Then came Ino.

Her opponent was Sakura Haruno, in a rematch from their Chuunin Exams back when Naruto and Hinata were both genin. Both women were medic-nins, and both were trained under Sannin. While Sakura remained in Konoha, unable to travel, as the impromptu death sentence extended to her as well, given that she was also a member of Cell Seven, Ino had far exceeded Hinata's expectations as a medic nin. Combined that with Okajima's training, and Ino had made a name for herself as a highly-skilled kunoichi.

Ino didn't even need to use her Mind Transfer Jutsu. She simply manipulated Sakura around the arena, and sidestepped her former friend. Sakura fell face first into the water, and Ino had won the match by ring out.

Then came Asuma Sarutobi, who had the bad luck of being pitted against the Ino-Shika-Cho's new sensei, Hayate Okajima.

"ASUMA SATUROBI OF KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO VERSUS HAYATE OKAJIMA OF SHINZOKU! FIGHTERS, TO THE ARENA!"

Hayate Okajima and Asuma Sarutobi entered the arena. Okajima was clad in his shinobi uniform (think Hanzo Hattori's costume from Samurai Showdown Sen, but without the red scarf and face mask), and was in the process of securing his Tengu Mask on his face.

From the booth, Tsunade had a grin on her face as she watched Asuma enter the arena. "Looks like my luck is turning, brat," she addressed Naruto. "Asuma is fighting."

"So is Okajima," Naruto noted. "Hayate Okajima is not only a member of my council and Minister of Shinobi Affairs, but he is also a cunning and ruthless strategist, his intellect is rivaled by the Nara. He is also a master of the silent kill. Only the Chiba and the Hyuuga could match him in Taijutsu. There is a difference between playing bodyguard to a Damiyo and fighting in a war, Senju. The son of the Sandaime is in for one tough fight."

"Why the Tengu mask?" Mei asked.

"I asked Okajima the same thing," Naruto said. "He just told me that he just liked wearing it. I just left it at that."

On the arena floor, Okajima cracked his neck muscles, and stood there, sizing up the former sensei of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Asuma pulled out his trench knives and channeled chakra into them. He saw that Okajima did not have a ninjato on him, and soon discovered why. On his forearms and hands were clawed gauntlets, the fingers ending in sharpened claws He could have taken the easy way out and asked the Ino-Shika-Cho as to how Asuma fought, but decided against that idea.

Asuma gripped his knives even tighter. Even without being able to properly pull off jutsu, Asuma was still a battle-hardened warrior under the Godaime's command.

"FIGHTERS, READY...AND GO!"

Asuma did not waste any time, lunging forward with a front snap kick, of which Hayate swatted to the side. The spinning back kick was also knocked aside. The former Guardian Ninja and the Tengu moved in, Asuma punching and slashing with his trench knives, kicking up sparks as he attempted to use the Flying Swallow to break through Okajima's defenses, kicking up sparks as his trench knives made contact against Okajima's chakra-covered gauntlets.

Asuma took a step back in order to avoid the punch to the face, but Okajima did not let up. The Tengu scored the first blow, an open-palmed strike to the face, which left an angry red mark on Asuma.

From the booth, the Ino-Shika-Cho watched the fight. They knew that Asuma was good, but their de facto sensei was even better. It was Shikamaru who explained Okajima's motives. "Okajima-sensei is feeling Asuma out," he explained to Ino and Chouji, who was eating a bag of chips. "Once he's done that, then he will go in for the kill."

Kurenai had heard Shikamaru's comment and grew worried. Asuma could not pull off any jutsu which involved handseals, as he was still going through rehab over that.

"After all," Shikamaru continued, "he did the same to us when he took us under his wing."

"Don't remind me," Ino said, shuddering. "We learned more under Okajima-sensei than Asuma."

Down in the arena, Asuma had suceeded in tagging Okajima with several powerful blows, but Okajima had been hit with a whole lot worse. He ignored the pain and the fight began to turn in his favor. What made the fight even more exciting was that Okajima, a master of ninjitsu, was not using any jutsu for the match. He simply relied on Taijutsu to beat Asuma within an inch of his life.

Two kicks to the sternum forced Asuma up against the stone chains. There, Hayate proceeded to pummel him with a barrage of punches, elbows and kicks. Asuma tried to defend against the onslaught, but it was no use. After twenty seconds of non-stop pummeling, Okajima stopped, and Asuma, bloodied and bruised, slumped to a seated position, blood seeping from his mouth and from a cut to the head.

This match was over. Hayate turned to the proctor. "Call the match," he said.

"THE WINNER, HAYATE OKAJIMA!"

The crowd cheered as Okajima made his exit via shunshin and reappeared in the booth. Ignoring the angry looks of Kurenai and the others, Okajima took his seat and removed his gauntlets from his hands. The gauntlets stained with Asuma's blood.

"Your man is still alive," Okajima said, not looking in Tsunade's direction as he addressed her and Kurenai. "The infirmary is at the south end of the stadium, first underground level. You're more than happy to check on him there."

Kurenai looked at Tsunade, who gave her consent with a nod. With a glare to both Okajima and Naruto, Kurenai disappeared in a shunshin. From his seat, Naruto chuckled. Yamato leveled his own 'spooky glare' which had scared Naruto in his youth, but Naruto responded with his own thousand-yard stare, causing Yamato to flinch, and back down as a result.

The next match was Yugao Uzuki against Hellcat member Miko Himura. Having seen Yugao use the Dance of the Crescent Moon, Miko knew what to expect. She countered the move by dispelling the clones used for the jutsu and disarmed Yugito. The vice-commander of the ANBU had no other choice but to concede defeat.

With Yugao out of the tournament, Sasuke Uchiha remained. The Uchiha prince managed to knock Kurotsuchi out of the ring. Temari won against Ino, but lost to Rasu, thus putting both Suna and Iwa out of the tournament. That left the Uchiha and two Imperial warriors ready to tear him limb from limb. Even Tsunade knew that Sasuke's chances of getting out of this tournament in one piece were nil. The Emperor held all the cards and it pissed Tsunade off to no end.

Miko Himura, seeing that Rasu wanted to fight Sasuke, had forfeited her place in the tournament, citing 'chakra exhaustion.' Naruto had made sure that she would be reimbursed for time served in the tournament.

Which led to this moment.

"FINAL ROUND! SASUKE UCHIHA OF KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO VERSUS RASU OF THE VIOLENT LIGHTNING! FIGHTERS, TO THE ARENA!"

Sasuke used a shunshin to teleport to the ring, while Rasu strode in. The red-and-gold armor glistened in the afternoon sun as the Shogun of the Violent Lightning faced down his last opponent. Rasu remembered his Emperor's orders for him when the time came for him to face the arrogant Uchiha. Crush him. If he made Sasuke say 'matte,' then it would be a bonus.

The Uchiha smirked as he watched his opponent. "Your road ends here, Rasu. Here is where I will prove to the Dobe and his whore that I am better than him by beating you. Then he will be next, and the West will see that I am the Elite of the Elites."

Rasu simply responded by cracking his knuckles, before switching hands and repeating the motion. "Then you have no problem in showing me that you are an 'Elite Uchiha.' Please be a suitable challenge for me, unlike your late brother, whom the Emperor had killed."

Sasuke unsheathed his chokuto, just as the proctor shouted, "FIGHTERS...READY...AND GO!"

Lightning danced around Rasu as he assumed his stance. "Let the thunder roll," he mused.

Sasuke started the match by flinging several kunai at Rasu, who merely batted them out of the way. But Sasuke hoped that it would distract him long enough for him to move in and use his sword. But Rasu was faster and unsealed his own weapon: a metal staff. Aside from his Lightning Release, Rasu was a prodigy in bojutsu, of which Sasuke would soon find out.

The crowd roared its approval as chokuto and bo clashed. Rasu calmly parried Sasuke's thrusts and swings.

From his place inside the booth, Kabuto nodded in approval. 'Sasuke has improved. But Rasu is playing with him.' He looked at the Emperor from the corner of his eye. 'Naruto does not look like he is worried. Could this be a setup to humiliate the Uchiha? I wonder...'

In the arena, Rasu moved to the side in order to avoid Sasuke's sword thrust. His fist bounced off the back of the Uchiha's skull, knocking him to the ground. "I got to say that this is the most fun I had in a while. It's good to compete in such tournaments, as it keeps you sharp," said the lightning master.

Sasuke got back to his feet and retrieved his chokuto. Glaring at the smug Rasu, who was balancing his staff on one shoulder, he charged and the fight resumed. Sasuke then felt the air rush out of his lungs as Rasu slammed his fist into his torso, forcing him down to one knee.

"You know what your greatest sin is, Uchiha?" Rasu asked. "Your pride. For all your talk and proclaiming your greatness, you are merely hiding behind your Sharingan and your name, living in the shadow of your older brother."

"Shut up!" Sasuke shouted back. "You know nothing!"

"Oh, but I do," Rasu replied as he and Sasuke locked weapons. "I know about you and the Chief being on the same cell when the both of you were younger. That Hatake had given you every single jutsu that you could ask for. The Chief and the Lady were very honest about their past. The Chief has his flaws, as does his wife, but he got to where he is at because of hard work. Unlike you, the Chief does not proclaim his superiority just because he is a descendant of the Six Paths. He did not use his ancestry to get to where he is. He did not use his Rinnegan as a crutch. For that reason, does he earn my respect."

"You compare me to that Dobe?!" Sasuke seethed. "I am an Uchiha! I am also a descendant of the Six Paths!"

"I do," Rasu replied. "And sorry to bust your bubble, but neither the Uchiha nor the Senju are not the direct descendants of the Six Paths Sage, the very first Jinchuuriki of whose power was this stadium was built. Your clan ancestor and those of the Senju merely were trained by him, and rode on his coattails to make their family line even more illustrious. You think you had it bad given that your nutjob of a brother exterminated your clan? Try growing up without parents. The Chief came out just fine. You are seriously fucked in the head."

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke shouted, breaking the hold.

But before he could counterattack, Rasu thrust his staff forward, catching Sasuke in his shoulder. Sasuke's screams echoed through the coliseum as a shock of electricity coursed through his veins, giving the audience a nice view of what his skeleton looked like.

"Oh suck it up, Uchiha," Rasu sniped as Sasuke dropped his chokuto. "I barely touched you." He turned to the proctor. "Call the match. This runt has no more fight left in him."

Sasuke's eyes shifted into the Magenkyou as she spun upon Rasu. "No! This fight is not over yet!" he screamed as he went through several handseals. "CHIDORI!"

Rasu smirked as Sasuke used the power of the Cursed Seal to give him an extra boost in speed. 'How in the world can an assassination jutsu can create such a racket,' he thought as Sasuke beared down on him. Rasu's hand balled into a fist as he produced the counter for such an inferior technique.

"RAJINKEN!"

The Lightning Fist was Rasu's signature technique. It was delivered in one of two ways: a straight punch to the face, or a rising uppercut (ala Kazuya Mishima's Electric Wind God Fist). As Sasuke found out, he was struck with the latter. The blow had knocked him seven feet into the air, with Rasu soon following after him, adding insult to injury by using the Lion Combo, of which Sasuke had stolen from Rock Lee during the Chuunin Exams, his foot slamming the Uchiha into the stone arena.

The Rajinken had made Sasuke's chakra control and his nervous go haywire, which was more than enough time for Rasu to put the final nail in the coffin. A kick to the torso, followed by Rasu rolling Sasuke over on his stomach, pinning him to the arena with one knee and Sasuke's arm painfully wrenched behind his back.

"I want to hear it!" Rasu shouted. "Say it!"

Sasuke knew what Rasu wanted him to say. But Sasuke was not going to say it. To say that five-letter-word would be the ultimate humiliation even for him. When Sasuke hesitated in his answer, Rasu responded by applying even more pressure onto his arm, threatening to break it should Sasuke not give in.

"Say it, Uchiha!" Rasu demanded. "SAY IT SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HEAR!"

Faced with leaving the Empire with a broken arm, Sasuke conceded defeat. "MATTE! MATTE! MATTE!"

Satisfied, Rasu released Sasuke's arm and moved away from him as the crowd cheered. "THE WINNER, AND CHAMPION OF THE IMPERIAL KUMITE, RASU!" the announcer declared.

Inside the booth, Naruto grinned, while Tsunade was slamming her fist on the reinforced arm of her chair, swearing up a storm while Jiraiya and Yamato looked pissed. The Ino-Shika-Cho cheered for the newest champion. Katsuragi, Gaara, Onoki, and Mei had looks of satisfaction on their faces as to how the tournament had played out.

In the arena, Sasuke's eyes morphed into the Magenkyou as he scrambled over to his chokuto, his intention clear.

He was going to rob the Empire of its champion.

Sasuke activated the Chidorigatana and charged, intending on impaling Rasu from behind.

Rasu simply responded by performing a lightning shunshin, and Sasuke passed where Rasu once stood moments earlier. Sasuke had to skid to a stop, as he found himself close to the arena's edge. Upon reappearing, Rasu took the opportunity to give his dishonorable opponent a final indignity.

He booted Sasuke off the arena and into the water.

It had gotten a real good laugh from the crowd. And that laughter increased as Sasuke dragged himself out of the water and stomped out of the arena, humiliated beyond belief. In the booth, Tsunade was torn between knocking Sasuke's head off for his attempted cheap shot from behind, while at the same time wanting to die following the humiliation that Sasuke – and by extension, Konoha – had suffered through his actions.

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato – three weeks later.

Sasuke Uchiha was not very happy. His grand debut in the Empire's Imperial Kumite had been a big failure. The team that Tsunade had assembled was a big failure. He had not only lost, but had been thoroughly humiliated by Rasu, and by extension, Naruto. Even worse, Konoha and Fire Country had to pay a huge indemity due to Sasuke's attempted murder of Rasu or face invasion from the Western Empire.

Word had spread fast about how Sasuke not only lost, but as to how he had tried to spear the champion of this year's Imperial Kumite in the back with his Chidorigatana. One thing that Sasuke absolutely **hated** aside from Naruto was the fact that he was looked down upon as a joke, as an after-thought.

Upon returning to Konoha, he had kept to himself, unless summoned by Danzou. His opinion on Tsunade and her super-pervert of a teammate had sank even lower. The idea of leaving Konoha for greener pastures – namely, Otogakure – was more frequent in his mind. He had closed himself off from the others, save for Danzou, as he answered to him. He was to be seen as a hero, as one who had beaten the best that the Empire had to offer. But that backfired in the most extreme way.

Still thinking evil thoughts as he entered the Uchiha District, he entered his home.

The two black books were placed on his nightstand inside his bedroom. They were out of place, as Sasuke did not own books with black binders on them.

Further inspection showed that the books in question were black ops books detailing every single black ops mission that had taken place in Konohagakure under the Hokages and Danzou Shimura.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Sasuke sat down on the edge of the bed and began to read.

And Sasuke's anger grew as he discovered the truth behind the Uchiha Incident, of how it was ordered by the Sandaime himself, with the backing of Danzou Shimura and the two deceased council elders in order to thwart his father's attempts at a coup. Of how the Konoha Civilian Council had planned on turning the Sharingan into a weapon in order to make Konoha the strongest of the villages. Last, he read about Danzou and his hidden arm containing the Shodaime's Mokuton and the harvested Sharingans, not to Shisui's Sharingan hidden behind those bandages, as well as his now-failed plans in regards to Naruto and his new plans in making Sasuke the perfect weapon, while at the same time, subjugating him to serve Konoha's will.

Even worse, was that Tsunade herself signed off on the order in the black ops book for the Hokage.

If Sasuke was made before, he was outright furious. His life was not his own. His bloodline had been stolen by those who did not deserve it. He had been played by the Hokage and the Civilian Council.

The path to him was now clear.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha had left the village shortly before dawn...but not before sending Konoha a message.

First, he had spent most of the night sneaking into the homes of the Civilian Council and executed the council members. Sakura's mother – the head of the Konoha Merchants Guild – was among the casualties. As Sakura was working at the hospital at the time, she was spared his wrath. Sasuke thought about killing Danzou and Tsunade, but decided against it. But he did, however, killed Asuma Sarutobi as he was one his way home from his rehab, ambushing him and leaving his body inside one of Konoha's alleys, thus making Kurenai a widow.

By the time the alarm was raised, Sasuke Uchiha was halfway to Otogakure.

Furious, Tsunade and Danzou had ordered a joint retrieval mission to bring the Uchiha back. However, Orochimaru had anticipated this and had reacted. He unleashed the revived Sound Four and two hundred Oto jounin upon the twenty-man retrieval team.

Only three members of the retrieval team sent by Tsunade – Kiba Inuzuka, and ROOT operatives Torune Aburame and Fu Yamanaka – survived to return with the bad news. The Uchiha Retrieval Mission II was a complete failure. Sasuke Uchiha had successfully defected to Orochimaru.

The Fire Damiyo's response was instant. Sasuke Uchiha was declared a S-class missing-nin and traitor to both the Leaf and Fire Country, wanted for the murders of Asuma Sarutobi and the civilian members of the Konohagakure Civilian Council.

* * *

Otogakure, Rice Country.

"Welcome to my humble home, Sasuke Uchiha," Orochimaru greeted from his throne as Sasuke entered the room, having been led inside by Kabuto. "I am pleased to see that you have taken up my offer." He turned to Kabuto. "What of the retrieval team sent by the Leaf?"

"With the exception of three, all are dead," Kabuto replied.

"Good. Very good," the Snake Sannin said. "You have made the right choice in coming here to Otogakure, Sasuke. I have heard about your 'performance' in the Imperial Kumite, as well as the incident in Suna regarding your former teammate. Although I am rather surprised to find out that the dead last is now the Emperor."

"I can care less about the Dobe," Sasuke snapped. "I want only one thing, aside from the power that you promised me."

"Oh? And that is...?"

"Burn Konoha to the ground," Sasuke replied. "Destroy everything - Tsunade, Danzou. Everything. Konoha has betrayed my clan and tried to make me into their personal weapon. Naruto and the Empire can wait. I know the Leaf's strengths and weaknesses. With the loss of four of their clans and most of their experienced Jounin, Konoha is weak. I cannot serve a village that is weak."

"Yes..." Orochimaru leaned back in his seat. "I believe we will get along just fine, Sasuke. Just fine."

* * *

Imperial Complex, Kimon - several days later.

The scroll from the Empire's Intelligence Division was delivered to Naruto and Hinata's office inside the House of Sovereigns by a member of said division. The scroll was a week old, but it contained something that Naruto wanted to hear ever since returning to Konoha to plant the incriminating evidence of the two black ops books he had stolen months earlier inside of Sasuke's home.

Naruto read the scroll, with Hinata reading over his shoulder.

**SASUKE UCHIHA DEFECTED FROM THE LEAF. FIRE DAMIYO HAS PLACED UCHIHA IN THE BINGO BOOK AS A S-CLASS MISSING NINJA, AND FOR THE MURDERS OF THE KONOHAGAKURE CIVILIAN COUNCIL AND ASUMA SARUTOBI.**

"I have to say that I am very impressed," Hinata acknowledged.

"One thing about the Uchiha," her husband replied. "He is so predictable. Although killing off the civilian council and Asuma was something that I was not expecting, it's still a nice bonus."

"So what do we do now?" Hinata asked.

"We wait. Konoha's days are numbered," Naruto replied. "The Leaf has sown the wind. Now, it will reap the whirlwind. And when the time comes for the Leaf to fall, I will be there to put the nail in their coffin."


	10. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Snafu's Notes: I thought about having Naruto taking on the Sannin, but that did not go well. I thought of having Naruto fight Sasuke, but remembered that I did that in Consequences. So it would be best to have Naruto wipe out the Sannin en masse.

"_By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea we wept, when we remembered Zion. Remember, O Lord, the Children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem who said, 'Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation.' O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed. How happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."_

- Psalms 137: verses 1, 7-9, as quoted by Joshua Graham, Fallout: New Vegas

Nine months had passed since the conclusion of the Imperial Kumite in South Ichiyama.

Since then, the Imperial Nation had signed a non-aggression pact with both Iwagakure and Earth Country, as well as establishing a Pekara outpost in the Earth Capital. Onoki also agreed to have Iwa medic-nins come to Kimon to learn under Hinata in order to keep Iwa casualties down. Second, Naruto had reclaimed the ruins of Whirlpool Country and annexed it. He did not revive Uzushiogakure no Sato, as there was no need. He did, however, made Whirlpool into a major Pekara outpost.

In the months following the conclusion of the Imperial Kumite, Sasuke Uchiha had defected from Konoha and had murdered Asuma Sarutobi and the Konoha Civilian Council on his way out. The incident would become known as the Uchiha Slaughter. Given the fact that he had ran years earlier, and that he wielded the Magenkyou Sharingan, he was labeled as an S-class threat in the Bingo Book. Orders: Kill on Sight. Naruto knew that he had fled to Otogakure, as he was the one who manipulated the Uchiha to head there in the first place.

Now, it was only a matter of time before Orochimaru and Sasuke would invade Konoha. Orochimaru had not only been training Sasuke in learning how to control his Cursed Seal, but also had recruited bandits and missing-nin to the Sound, swelling his ranks, the majority of which having been subjected to the Cursed Seal. As expected, Orochimaru had ordered his nin not to antagonize the Pekara merchants and their caravans, as he did not want the Empire on his back. Sasuke balked at the order, but honored it, as Orochimaru did have a point. Kabuto had seen first-hand the Imperial forces in action, as the Akatsuki found out the hard way.

"We will make our move against the Empire and their interests soon enough," Orochimaru had told Sasuke. "But right now, our main focus is the Leaf."

It did not occur to Orochimaru that Naruto was manipulating him into attacking Konoha. Kabuto had his suspicions, but dismissed them, as he assumed that Naruto could not plan such a grandiose scheme. It did not occur to Sasuke that Naruto had manipulated him into defecting from Konoha by making him look worthless in the eyes of the shinobi world, nor that the blackout books from Danzou and the Hokage were planted by him. He had failed to take his late sensei's words to heart: "Look underneath the hidden meanings."

It did not occur to Tsunade and Jiraiya that they had severely underestimated their ex-godson. They thought he had the devil's luck in avoiding their hunter-nins and establishing the Empire, that he was like Jiraiya when the Sannin were under Sarutobi's tutelage: a dead last. They did not expect to be manipulated by Naruto, or that he would use Orochimaru and Sasuke to bring about Konoha's destruction with Naruto himself delivering the coup de grace.

Nine months later, Hinata had given birth to their second child. The couple named her Moka Kushina Namikaze. As the Imperial Nation celebrated the birth of their new princess, Orochimaru had decided that the time was right for them to attack Konohagakure. Captain Asahina had sent a communique to the Imperial Capital, notifying Naruto and Hinata of the invasion of Konoha. Even though he did not want to leave his newborn daughter, Naruto had to make sure that Konoha and by extension, Oto, could not threaten his family or the Empire. Hinata had understood and told him to do what he must, and that he had better come back alive.

Taking Kurama with him, Naruto used the Demon's Gate and the pair found themselves in Fire Country. Naruto had summoned the Six Paths and placed them under henges and had them join up with Orochimaru's army, while both he and Kurama set up in Konoha from their place on top of the ruined Hokage Monument...after retrieving the ashes of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju from the Konoha cemetery.

From their place on the monument, Naruto and Kurama watched as Tsunade had ordered the village to be evacuated of all civilians, followed by Konoha shinobi trying to strengthen their defenses. Several messenger birds had been dispatched to Suna and Mist, but Naruto knew that Gaara and Mei would not get involved. This would be Konoha's final war. One of two things was going to happen: that Konoha would somehow survive, but would be irreversibly crippled, or Konoha would be destroyed.

Naruto was going to make sure that the latter would be the desired result.

He had once told Hinata that when the time came, he would be watching Konoha's downfall on the top of the Hokage Monument with some drinks, a couple of sushi plates, and some popcorn. Much to Kurama's amusement, he did just that.

The invasion had begun in earnest shortly after noon. Sasuke and Orochimaru led the assault, backed by over two thousand Oto shinobi. While Sasuke went after Danzou (with two of Naruto's Six Paths) following him deep into the underground complex, where Danzou was located.

Through control of the two paths accompanying Sasuke, he had seen the events which had led to Danzou's final fight with Sasuke, while Orochimaru and his forces carved a path to the ruins of the Hokage Tower, where Tsunade, Jiraiya and the remaining members of the Konoha 11 and their families awaited to make their last stand.

Orochimaru, being the sadistic bastard he was, had not only subjected half of his forces to the Cursed Seal, but also had used the Impure World Resurrection jutsu, bringing back once again Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, but also Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kakashi Hatake, Itachi Uchiha (who had accompanied Sasuke to kill Danzou), Asuma Sarutobi and the Konohamaru Corps to help in bring about Konoha's destruction.

Helpless under Orochimaru's control, the resurrected shinobi put their former village to the sword. Asuma Sarutobi had murdered his wife. The Konohamaru Corps had slaughtered a quarter of the Chuunin that had came up with them in their days at the Shinobi Academy, forcing the surviving Chuunin to lead the Konohamaru Corps into a trap, consisting of rigging the former Hyuuga Compound with explosive tags, destroying the compound and crushing the revived trio under the debris. Meanwhile, Tsunade, Jiraiya and the remaining clan heads and their children were fighting Orochimaru, the two Senju brothers and Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Kakashi slaughtered the majority of the ANBU Black Ops by using Amaterasu, Yamato and Yugao being among the casualties, but not before Yamato used his Mokuton to crush the Sound Four.

The Konoha Hospital was not exempt from Orochimaru's wrath. A squad of Oto nin, their bodies covered with exploding tags and under the influence of the Cursed Seals, leveled the building in a suicide attack. Among the casualties were Shizune Kato and Maito Gai, who had been in the hospital since Suna.

Despite this, Tsunade and Konoha had fought on, until the battle had began to inch to a stalemate. Tsume and Kiba Inuzuka were both killed by the Sandaime and his son. Hana Inuzuka, on her mother's orders had evacuated with the civilians. Shino and Shibi Aburame had met their end at the hands of the revived Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages. Sasuke had joined in the fray, and had cut down the remaining ANBU who were there to protect Tsunade.

Naruto, having seen enough, finally decided to intervene.

* * *

**CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.**

The fighting between Konoha and Oto shinobi stopped as they heard the sound of clapping. The three Sannin stopped their two-on-one brawl, as did the revived Hiruzen and Asuma Sarutobi, Kakashi Hatake, and the Senju brothers. The warring parties looked around, trying to find out who was clapping, until the person in question revealed himself.

He stepped out of the smoke, accompanied by a redheaded woman. He was the one who was clapping, applauding at the mayhem that was unfolding, dressed in his shinobi uniform, the same one which Tsunade and Jiraiya had seen him wear in Suna. Kurama accompanied him, dressed in her battle uniform.

"Life's end. Isn't it beautiful? It's almost...tragic. When life ends, it gives off a final lingering aroma. Light is but a farewell gift from the darkness to those on their way to die," the Emperor stated.

Hiruzen blinked. "M-Minato?"

"I'm not my father, old man," Naruto sniped. "Oh yes, I know that the Yellow Flash was my father. You lied to me, Sarutobi. You lied to me ever since I was a child."

"Naruto...I did what I did to protect you," Sarutobi attempted to defend his actions. "Your father had many enemies from the last shinobi war. Please understand."

"I understand that you and Danzou tried to turn me into a loyal weapon," Naruto replied. "I understand that you betrayed my parents. Oh, yes, I understand that manipulating a boy was more important than honoring my parents' final wishes."

Hiruzen sighed, dropping the facade. "I suppose I can drop the act, then."

"Yeah, you should," Naruto replied. He turned to Tsunade and Jiraiya. "Remember what I told the both of you that day when you decided to banish me? Do you?"

Of course Tsunade and Jiraiya had remembered. They did not take it in account that he was serious. After all, they had written him off as the dead last, the Kyuubi brat who had robbed them of their loved ones. They had laughed off his threat.

_"This isn't over. Not by a longshot. You and all of Konohagakure decided to back a traitor over me. I will not forget this, and I sure as hell will not forgive the both of you for this betrayal. Pray that I don't come back to this godforsaken village, because when I do...I will destroy you all."_

"Never let it be known that I keep my word," the Emperor said "I told the both of you in Suna that this was just the beginning. As my father brought about Konoha's rise, so I will bring about its fall."

"You? Bringing about the Leaf's destruction? Ha!" Sakura snorted. "You were so full of yourself, Naruto! Even back when we were kids."

"People change when you don't see or hear from them for years, Haruno," Naruto sniped. "Even me." He looked at the faces of the Sannin and those of his former cell and the Sandaime. "This is quite the reunion. It's been years since we've been here, together in the Leaf." He turned to Kurama, "And here, I thought they would be happy to see us, Kurama."

Kurama gave Naruto a fanged grin.

"But," Naruto continued, as Tsunade and the others could make out the forms of a man and a woman in the smoke from behind the Emperor and the bijuu queen. "I did not come alone." He turned to Jiraiya. "You told me in Suna that you honored my parents' sacrifice by allowing me to suffer, rather than respect their final wishes. Perhaps you would like to convey what you told me to them yourself."

With that, the two people emerged from the smoke. To anyone from Konoha, they recognized the pair almost instantly, even after being dead for over twenty years.

The man had blond hair styled in the same manner as his son. He was dressed in the standard Konoha jounin uniform, complete with flak vest. The white trenchcoat with the flame pattern on the tail end fluttered in the breeze. On one finger, through the ring, he was twirling a Hiraishin trikunai. His companion had long red hair, which she kept tied in a ponytail. Rather than the Konoha jounin uniform, she was dressed in the standard uniform of the Whirlpool kunoichi – which was similar as to what Hinata herself would wear. A ninjato was in her left hand.

The Yellow Flash, himself, Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze, and his wife, the princess of Whirlpool, the Red Death herself, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze.

And the pair did not look very happy upon seeing the people who had betrayed and later, attempted to kill their son. People who they at one time, trusted with their lives.

Naruto smirked. "Orochimaru isn't the only one who knows the Impure World Resurrection."

In truth, Naruto did not know the forbidden jutsu. He had simply placed two reinforced clones under the henge to make them look like Minato and Kushina to use as a form of psychological warfare. However, through a twist of fate, the Shinigami allowed Minato and Kushina's souls to possess the two shadow clones for the duration of the clone's existence. Even the Death God agreed that Konoha had to answer for their betrayal, and had allowed them to return to the land of the living, if only for a short time.

This, Naruto had done before leaving Kimon for Konoha. Of course, it did give Minato and Kushina some time with their grandchildren before they left, as well as thanking their friends (the Ino-Shika-Cho and Hiashi) for honoring their final request in regards to Naruto. While Naruto was on the Hokage Monument, Minato and Kushina decided to vent out their frustrations by taking the fight to Konoha's forces until the time came for the big reveal.

"Give me one good reason as to why I should not do to this village what I had done to Iwa," Minato said, gripping the trikunai in one hand. "One reason!"

"We did what we had to do," Jiraiya defended. "Hiruzen-sensei saw that Konoha was crippled following the last Shinobi War, so we had to ensure that the Nine-Tails remained in Konoha to ensure our survival. When it became clear that Naruto could not be controlled, we saw him as a threat, and had to be dealt with as such."

Kushina, on the other hand, was livid. "So not only you tried to exterminate my brother and my clan, but you damned my son to a living hell?" she demanded. She was not known as the Red-Hot Habanero for nothing. She wanted to gut Jiraiya for what he had done.

"The Nine-Tails were the property of the Senju clan, and by extension, the Leaf," defended Tsunade. "Just as all of the other bijuu were."

Kushina looked at her aunt with a mixture of pity and betrayal. "You're wrong. I'm sure that my son has already explained to you that the bijuu are not the property of the Senju clan, but rather under the care of the Uzumaki clan, of which our ancestor was the Rikudo Sennin himself."

"That much is true," Hashirama said. "All I did was use the Mokuton to subdue them." He looked at the reunited family. "Who are you?"

"My name, Lord Shodaime, is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze," Naruto began. "Former genin shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato, former Jinchuuriki of Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, descendant of the Rikudo Sennin, and Emperor of the Unified Western Empire. Tsunade Senju, as much as I hate to admit, is my great-aunt, since Mito Uzumaki was her grandmother." He introduced his parents. "My father, Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, Minato Namikaze, and my mother, the princess of Whirlpool and second Jinchuuriki to Kurama, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze."

"What the kit speaks is the truth," Kurama confirmed. To back up Naruto's claim, nine fox tails emerged from her backside. The bijuu queen smirked as she savored the looks of disbelief on the faces of the Sannin and on the resurrected Kages. Even Orochimaru looked shocked. "In case you're a bit slow, I am Kurama, better known by my title: Kyuubi no Yoko, the Nine-Tailed Fox." She looked at Hashirama. "You don't look so good, Hashirama. Mito would disapprove."

Jiraiya was shocked. The hot redhead that had been hanging around Naruto had been the Kyuubi the whole time?!

Naruto looked at the gathered kages. "Isn't this something. All of Konoha's kages together."

"You broke the seal?!" Hiruzen demanded in a rage.

"I did," Naruto replied. "I did this after I was banished from the Leaf by your successor."

"You were banished from the Leaf?" Hashirama asked, now interested in Naruto's backstory. "What was your crime?"

"Being a hero," Naruto replied. "Konoha favored a potential traitor over me. That and because I was Kurama's jailer, and that both Tsunade and Jiraiya blamed the death of my parents on me, as did Hiruzen for the death of his wife. Long story short, a former student of my father's thought to have been KIA, returned and unleashed Kurama onto the village as my mother was giving birth to me. My mother died from complications surrounding her birth and my father had to use the Shiki Fujin to seal Kurama in me at the cost of his life."

Tobirama nodded. "A noble sacrifice," he said.

Naruto scoffed. "Konoha didn't seem to think so. Neither did Sarutobi or those two idiots. My father's last wish was for the Leaf to see me as a hero. But I was denied my inheritance by Sarutobi, and the village treated me like a virtual pariah. But that is just the tip of the iceberg, Lord Nidaime. Saurobi and Shimura wanted to make me into Konoha's weapon, but died as a result of sealing Orochimaru's arms with the Shiki Fujin. Sarutobi's scheme soon fell onto Tsunade and Jiraiya." He turned to Orochimaru. "Sasuke Uchiha was assigned to Cell Seven, the same as me. He was seduced by the promise of power from Orochimaru and had defected from Konoha as a result. Tsunade had ordered a retrieval team to go and recapture Sasuke before he could make it to Orochimaru."

"It's true, as much as hate to admit," Orochimaru conceded. "While his teammates fought my Sound Four, Naruto had fought Sasuke at the Valley of the End. Naruto had defeated Sasuke and brought him back home. Instead of being recognized as a hero, he was instead blamed for Sasuke trying to leave. He was banished, and Tsunade even went as far as to send out ANBU and hunter-nins to kill him. That was when he had disappeared." His smirk deepened. "Your own granddaughter and great-niece banished a hero and pardoned the traitor."

The two male Senju turned to Sarutobi and the other two Sannin. "Is this true? You banished Mito's descendant?" he demanded.

"They did," Kushina said. "At the cost of razing Whirlpool Country and Uzushiogakure on Sarutobi's orders. You sold out the Uzumaki clan. My clan. My family. All for what? The chance for Konoha to regain control of Kurama. Good thing that I didn't fully trust you, which is why I had Takuma and nearly all of Uzusiogakure relocate back to the West...after eliminating the invading shinobi and dressing them up in Uzu's shinobi uniforms.

Orochimaru and Sasuke stood on the sidelines, watching this drama play out. 'This is very interesting,' the snake thought. 'I wonder how this will play out.'

Sasuke, in the meantime, was thinking along the lines of, 'Hope the Dobe gets himself killed.'

"While you thought that the Uzumaki was nearly extinct, they were in the West, out of sight, out of mind. Of course, Mom could not send word to Uncle Takuma, as she knew that you were watching her like a hawk," Naruto finished.

Jiraiya growled. Naruto had all but confirmed that Kushina had deceived him, the great spymaster of Konoha. Even Hiruzen, who had signed off on the order, was irate that the Yondaime's wife had played both him and Jiraiya.

"The power of the Kyuubi belonged to the Leaf," the one-armed sage shouted "There was no way that I, nor Hiruzen-sensei, would allow the Uzumaki to take what was rightfully ours!" He pointed to Kushina. "You were only protected because you were Minato's wife!"

Minato had heard enough. The Yellow Flash of Konoha slugged his former sensei right in the jaw, knocking him ass over teakettle, the Toad Sage landing flat on his back. Minato was more than angry. He was downright furious at the blatant disregard of his final wishes in regards to his son. He was irate over the betrayal that Konoha had done to himself, his wife and his son.

"I trusted you, Jiraiya," Minato said. "You were like a father figure to me. And you go and you do this? You and Tsunade betrayed not only your godson – my son – but you and Sarutobi damned him to a life of misery and pain!"

Naruto snorted. "You really are a piece of work, Jiraiya. So much for 'honoring' their sacrifice." He turned to Hashirama and Tobirama. "I had every intention of letting Konoha self-destruct on their own through the choices they made. Payback for betraying me and my family. But that damned warhawk and his two buddies on the council decided to send Sai and a hit squad of his ROOT ANBU to try and not only assassinate me, but also my wife, the four clans who had defected from here, and the Imperial Council when I refused terms for an alliance."

Tsunade's eyes widened, as did Jiraiya's and Sarutobi's. This entire mess was Danzou's fault?

"Koharu and Honmura on the other hand," continued the Emperor, "let's just say that they were long overdue for retirement. I decided to be nice enough to leave Danzou for Sasuke."

Tsunade and the others immediately caught the hidden meaning. Naruto had killed them. Tsunade mentally cursed to herself, as she had written off their deaths as accidental and in the case of Koharu, natural causes.

"Aside from his crimes of attempted regicide, Danzou also has secrets of his own. I thought that you were under the influence of the Sharingan he has implanted underneath those bandages, but as it turns out, that was not the case," Naruto continued, his own eyes morphing into the Rinnegan. "I know because of my own bloodline, which I can detect other bloodlines and identify whether or not people are under a genjutsu. Shimura not only has the Sharingan, but also has a special arm hidden underneath his robes containing not only multiple Sharingans, but also DNA harvested from the body of the First Hokage."

Hashirama's eyes narrowed, as did Tobirama's own.

"Power...oh, she is a seductive mistress," Naruto continued. "She is an addictive thrill. One taste of it and the weak-minded are left yearning for more. It can drive certain people mad. Orochimaru...Danzou...Sarutobi...even Tsunade. With such great power comes even greater responsibility. You and your brother knew that. My father knew that. Lord Shodaime, you once preached about the Will of Fire. The Will of Fire has been extinguished at the hands of your former student and those of his own students, one of which is your own granddaughter."

"Yes." Hashirama looked visibly disturbed at this chain of events. "It appears so."

"Grandfather, no! Don't listen to him!" Tsunade attempted to defend herself. "The brat is lying!"

"I told you before, old hag," Naruto shot back. "I never lie." His smirk deepened. "Want to know just how bad you underestimated me? You got a sample of it back in Suna. But this could count as my masterpiece." He turned to Jiraiya. "For a spymaster, he obviously did not see this coming. Then again, neither did the both of you. Imagine that, the Demon of Konoha, the Dobe, manipulating not only Konoha's greatest spymaster, but also the Godaime Hokage of Konoha and the Snake Sannin."

"Be careful as to how you speak, boy," Orochimaru hissed. "You may be strong, but you are not stronger than me."

"Now that's no way to thank the person who had delivered to you the key to immortality," Naruto chided, wagging a finger at the snake. "Did you really think that Sasuke came to your side willingly? Of course not."

Tsunade's eyes widened at this revelation, as did Jiraiya's own.

"I knew it," Kabuto said. "I had my suspicions, but I did not have any proof. You manipulated Sasuke into defecting from Konoha."

"Amazing what blackout orders detailing the Uchiha Massacre and Sasuke's role into creating a Uchiha clan subservient to only the Hokage can do," Naruto confessed. "Then again, it was easy to make that idiot think that he was not as much of an Elite as he thought himself to be."

Sasuke growled as his eyes shifted into the Sharingan. Naruto had played him for a fool yet again. "The Kumite back in the Empire...you designed it solely just to humiliate me?!"

Naruto shook his head. "Actually, I didn't. I just manipulated the tournament so you would end up fighting Rasu. The fact that you managed to get as far as you did was a miracle in itself. You should feel honored, Sasuke. Thanks to me, you will get a place in history as the man who brought about Konoha's downfall. A spiteful, bitter, spoiled Uchiha...although I will gladly take the credit for destroying the Leaf."

Asuma, having been silent for the duration of this confrontation, balked. "You used us. All of us. Just so you could destroy Konoha."

"Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? I sure do. This was something that Hinata and I had came up with while we were fighting in the Unification Wars as a joke. But once we united the lands, we gave it some more serious thought. But before we could deal with the Leaf, there was Obito and the Akatsuki, as they would more than likely come after me for having the bijuu in my possession. Obito invading Suna gave me the excuse needed to go to war, as Suna is an ally. Once Obito and the Akatsuki was wiped out, I could finally focus on Konoha."

Hiruzen had heard enough. Madness in his eyes, he charged at Naruto, as did Asuma, brandishing his bloodied trench knives. However, Kurama intervened. Two of her fox tails had speared the resurrected father and son and lifted them into the air. As the Konoha side watched in horror (save for the two Senju brothers and Orochimaru), Kurama incinerated both men, reducing them to charred bones, the special kunai designed by Orochimaru to control them fell to the ground, charred from the intense heat.

"SENSEI!" Jiraiya shouted in horror.

"Goodbye, Hiruzen Sarutobi," Naruto sniped. "Give my regards to Koharu and Honmura."

Jiraiya, at that moment, saw red. "You...YOU DEVIL!" the enraged super pervert screamed, forming a Rasengan in his hand, and charged at the Emperor, who slid a pair of Hirashin kunai - one black, the other the classic trikunai - in his hands. Sidestepping the Rasengan, Naruto impaled Jiraiya with the trikunai in his left hand.

Jiraiya's eyes bulged as the Rasengan dispersed as he felt the intense pain in his gut, looking at the man who in his mind, looked so much like the man whose son he had forsaken along with most of Konoha.

"That's for my parents who you betrayed," Naruto snarled. He then shoved the trikunai even deeper. "That's for the Uzumaki clan, who you tried to exterminate." He raised the second kunai and drove it into Jiraiya's neck. "And this is from me. Fuck you and die."

Naruto yanked out the trikunai out of Jiraiya's gut and kicked Jiraiya back. Jiraiya died, looking at the darkening night sky. As he died, the last thing he had seen was the faces of Minato and Kushina, looking at him with nothing but disdain.

"And then, there were two," Naruto mused, turning to Orochimaru. "Even though I have no love for Konoha, you are still a threat. The main reason why you are here is to save me the trouble of invading Otogakure. What better way to eliminate all of my family's enemies than to have them all together in the same place."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru retorted. He turned to Kabuto, Kakashi and the two Hokages. "Kill him," he ordered. "We'll send his head to his wife."

Kabuto nodded, while Hasirama and Tobirama turned and faced the Emperor. The two Senju prepared to use their Mokouton to ensnare the Emperor and the bijuu queen, while Kakashi prepared to face off against his former sensei.

But Naruto was not known as the unpredictable maverick shinobi for nothing. Raising the bloody kunai, he flung it at Kakashi, which was followed by...

"Hiraishin no jutsu!"

One crimson flash later, and Naruto was holding the kunais with the special talismans attached to them which Orochimaru used to control Hashirama and Tobirama in one hand, and his unsheathed O-katana in the other. Naruto had yanked them out of the two Kages, right before Sasuke and Kakashi had both been sledgehammered back from punches to the face by the young Emperor.

Kabuto stood there for a split second. Then his glasses fell to the ground, nearly cut in two, which was followed by Kabuto himself, Naruto having vertically bisected Orochimaru's right-hand man.

"Try and come back from that," Naruto said.

Minato could not be any more prouder of his son. "Impressive," he complimented.

"Our village has done this boy wrong, brother," the Nidaime said as he began to fade into dust.

Hashirama nodded. "He is in the right to destroy Konoha. This is not the village we have died for." Before fading away completely, he addressed Tsunade. "You are a disappointment to the clan, Tsunade."

Now, Tsunade and Orochimaru closed in on the Namikaze family, with the surviving Konoha shinobi, Tsunade having lost any and all sense of sanity following her grandfather's denouncement of her, and Orochimaru, Kusanagi in hand. Kakashi had retrieved a pair of kunai from his pouch, while Sasuke summoned lightning to his chokuto, wanting to get in on the action of finally eliminating the Dobe once and for all.

Naruto, Minato, and Kurama responded by letting loose with a torrent of black Hiraishin kunai – the ones with the Hiraishin seals etched onto the blade – at the surviving Sound and Leaf shinobi, as well with the classic trikunai. As expected, Sasuke, Tsunade and Orochimaru had dodged the rain of steel, but some of their subordinates were not as lucky.

"Hiraishin no Jutsu."

Minato Namikaze had became famous for using the Flying Thunder God to annihilate a sizable portion of Iwagakure shinobi. Now, Konoha and Sound had gotten a full taste of the combined wrath of the Yondaime and of the Emperor. First a crimson flash, followed by a yellow flash, and the dying started.

When the flash faded, carnage was left behind. Kakashi Hatake was slain, his soul sealed. Kushina and Kurama had cut down a number of shinobi from both sides. Naruto had cut down Sakura Haruno and Tsunade and Orochimaru were mortally wounded, Naruto placing a special seal designed to nullify his powers before severing his spine. Tsunade had been stabbed repeatedly by Kushina, the wounds causing her to bleed internally.

Naruto, on the other hand, did not want to deal with the Uchiha, as he had already beaten him three times already. He wasn't going to fight him, but he wasn't going to outright kill him. Naruto simply slashed at the tendons in his arms and legs, thus rendering his former teammate a cripple...but not for very long.

The rest of the attacking shinobi, having seen the power of the Hiraishin and who had survived Minato and Kushina's assault, retreated deeper into the village.

"Behold," Naruto began, arms spread out, looking around the ruined village. "the end result of your betrayal."

"N...Naruto..." Tsunade pleaded. "Please...don't destroy Konoha...I'm sorry for betraying you...please...show mercy..."

"Mercy? I don't show mercy to traitors. Now, it's time to end this," Naruto stated calmly as he retrieved Sasuke's Chokuto and Orochimaru's Kusanagi as trophies of war. Turning to the dying Tsunade and Orochimaru, he gave him his final words, ignoring Sasuke's screams. "The both of you won't die just yet. You will live long enough to see Konoha burn. I think what I have in store for Konoha's fate is fitting. Farewell."

The bijuu queen and the Namikaze family then vanished via shunshin.

* * *

Outside of Konohagakure...

"**Funny how things come full circle,**" Kurama mused, now in fox form, just as she was all those years ago. Only this time, the mountain-sized kitsune was now a willing participant in Konoha's destruction. "**Had Konoha had honored your father's request, and favored you instead of the Uchiha runt, then this would not have been their fate.**"

Naruto and his parents was seated on Kurama's head. "I know. But there is no time for regrets. The Leaf has made their bed. Now it's time for them to lie in it."

Minato, on the other hand, looked sad as he watched his home village in his final moments. He had once believed in his village. He had believed in the Will of Fire. When Naruto had told him of how Konoha had become corrupted, he did not believe him at first. But then, he saw it with his own eyes. He had seen and heard of Jiraiya's betrayal.

Kushina placed one hand over her husband's own. "Minato. I'm sorry, but this had to be done. It's hard for me too."

Minato sighed. "I know." He turned to his son. "Naruto. You know what to do."

His son nodded. "Kurama. Level the village."

"**Gladly,**" the fox replied.

The Bijuu's signature attack was the Bijuudama – the Bijuu Bomb. It is also considered the strongest of the bijuu's techniques. Now that Minato Namikaze's soul was released by the Shinigami, Kurama's Yin chakra had been restored, Kurama was back at full power.

And the power of the bijuu queen was a terrifying sight to behold if you were on the wrong side.

Kurama opened her maw and began to summon both positive and negative chakra, compressing it inside her mouth. For the bijuu, unleashing a perfect Bijuudama was tricky, as the chakra needed to be balanced at an eight-to-two ratio lest the Bijuudama could backfire. Gyuki found that out the hard way shortly after the Six Paths had separated them, which had resulted in a dislocated jaw for the Eight-Tails.

The Ten-Tails' Bijuudama could level an entire village. Kurama was no different. Her Bijuudama was just as destructive.

"Fire," Naruto calmly commanded.

Kurama fired the Bijuudama.

* * *

Orochimaru was dead. This Tsunade knew. Surviving Konoha and Oto shinobi ran about, trying to find a way out of the doomed village, but the exits were blocked, Naruto having trapped the shinobi inside via exploding tags, blocking their escape route. Sasuke Uchiha was alive, but not for long. Tsunade had guessed that he would bleed out in less than five minutes.

Tsunade looked at the bodies of Orochimaru and Jiraiya. She was the last of the Legendary Sannin alive, but not for long, as her grandfather's final words echoed in her mind.

"_You are a disappointment to the clan, Tsunade."_

'How did this happen?' Tsunade thought. 'How in the hell did Naruto outsmart all of us? This was not supposed to happen. Konoha is supposed to be the strongest of the villages. Where did we go wrong.'

Sasuke was thinking along the lines of, 'This can't be happening! I don't want to die!,' showing that through his facade of being a superior Uchiha, he was in fact, afraid of dying.

Those were their final thoughts as they were overcome with a blinding flash of light, and knew no more. So ended the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. So ended the Senju. So ended the life of Sasuke Uchiha.

The Bijuu Bomb – in the form of a black mass of chakra – detonated over Konohagakure, instantly turning night into day, the night sky lighting with the radiance of a thousand suns. Any surviving shinobi that was caught in the flash was instantly reduced to carbon as a result of the flash, others who were hiding inside the buildings within Konoha were crushed as the blast wave expanded, turning stone, wood, concrete and glass into shrapnel, shredding and impaling any and everything in its path.

Not even the Hokage Mountain was left standing, as that was also pulverized into oblivion. Only the training fields were left unscathed from Kurama's blast, although it did rattle the critters in the Forest of Death.

As the light from the blast faded, the village of Konohagakure no Sato was awash in a sea of flames. It was truly to anyone who had lived through the ordeal, Hell.

"To whoever once lived here in Konohagakure no Sato..." Naruto's chakra-masked voice carried on the wind. "I curse its remnants, from its remaining shinobi to its surviving civilians, and their descendants. I condemn the Konoha Remnant to wander the Elemental Countries in shame and guilt for the crimes they had committed in the name of the village. You will wander, looking for a new place to start over, but you will have no rest. You will have no reprieve. Until the last of the remnant dies out, you will never have no form of peace."

With his declaration done, Naruto and his parents hopped off of Kurama's head. The bijuu queen assumed her human form. Naruto turned to his parents. "So...I guess this is goodbye?"

Kushina nodded sadly. "Yes. The Shinigami said that this was good for only twenty-four hours." She embraced her son. "I am so proud of you, Naruto."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

Minato stepped forward and patted his son on the shoulder. "Sochi...you have exceeded my expectations. For you to become Emperor of the West. You have done me proud."

"Thanks, Dad."

Kushina turned to Kurama. "Watch over him and his family, Kurama. Consider it a request from an old friend."

Kurama nodded. "I will, Kushina."

Moments later, the clones dispersed, while their souls ascended to a higher plane of existence. Naruto and Kurama watched them until they were out of sight.

Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he faced Kurama.

"Your wife and children are waiting for you," she said. "Let's go home."

Naruto nodded. He was drained. All he wanted to do was go back to Kimon and sleep. Kurama activated the Demon's Gate Jutsu and the pair stepped through. Behind them, Konoha burned. Come the morning, Konoha would be nothing but a ruined wasteland.

* * *

Imperial Complex – within the Imperial Palace.

"Is it over?"

Hinata's voice had broken Naruto out of his thoughts as he looked inside the bedroom that Minato and Moka shared.

Naruto turned to his wife, who was in her shirt and shorts and nodded. "It's over. Operation Scorched Leaf is a success. Konoha has been destroyed. The Sannin are dead. Sasuke Uchiha is dead."

Hinata nodded. Despite everything, Konoha was their hometown. It had pained them to see that Konoha had become corrupted, but in the end, they had chosen their own paths. Konoha had become a threat, and had to be neutralized. Through this action, the Empire – and the East – would remain safe. Suna would retain its status as the strongest shinobi village, while Kazahana's shinobi village will take Konoha's place as one of the five.

There would be no power vacuum, as Naruto had made sure of that. Sasuke Uchiha would be forever remembered as the shinobi would had brought down the Leaf. Only he and his closest allies knew the truth.

With Konoha gone, Naruto and Hinata can now look to the future of the Western Empire. The Emperor's wrath was finally sated.


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue: Version A**

_**From the History of the Unified Western Empire...**_

_**With the success of Operation Scorched Leaf, Konohagakure was finished as a major player in the shinobi world. The more superstitious people believed that the ruins of Konoha were cursed, and even bandits avoided the ruins like a plague. The Konoha civilians, led by Hana Inuzuka, saw that they had nothing to return home to following the destruction of the Leaf. Following Konoha's destruction, the survivors attempted to rebuild, but found it difficult. Led by Hana Inuzuka and over two hundred jounin, the Konoha Remnant attempted to settle down, but each time, rival shinobi had attacked their group, thus driving down their numbers even further. **_

_**In desperation, Hana Inuzuka had appealed to the Fire Damiyo for aid, but was turned away. The Fire Damiyo - on threat of invasion on the orders of the other Elemental Nations given that he had supported Konoha's attempts to destablize the other villages and their damiyos - had turned the remnants away, in order to keep his position as Damiyo of Fire Country. That and the Damiyo had agreed not to reestablish Konoha or another Shinobi village on his lands in order to keep the other nations from invading, following Naruto releasing information regarding his past attempts to cripple the rival villages and their damiyos through Danzou's ROOT ANBU.**_

_**The last anyone has seen of Hana Inuzuka and the Konoha Remnants, were that they were on a boat heading south to Temujin's Continent. They were never heard from again.**_

_**In the West, the four clans who had defected from Konoha had made a name for themselves in the Unified Western Empire. Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuuga, had became known to being the diametric opposite of Takuma Uzumaki's hotheaded personality. His daughter, Hanabi Hyuuga, would establish herself as one of the finest diplomats that the Western Empire had to offer, serving in Spring Country as its representative. She was also a fine kunoichi, her skills in the Jyuuken becoming legendary. After returning from the mandatory four years abroad as the West's ambassador, she returned to Kimon, married, and settled down as clan head. **_

_**What was formerly known as Cell Gai - now known as Cell Nine - also achieved success in the West. Tenten Hyuuga had worked her way up the ranks, becoming a skilled weaponsmaster in her own right. Rock Lee, having shed his Mini-Gai image, became famous for his Taijutsu, earning him the nickname 'Kimon's Green Dragon.' Aside from serving in the Imperial Defense Forces, Rock Lee also trained rising shinobi and samurai at the Academy, which is where he also met his wife. Under the tutelage of Hiashi Hyuuga, Neji Hyuuga's martial arts abilities had increased tenfold. But Neji did not become arrogant, thanks to his wife's influence. Both his and Hanabi's children would become famous for their teamwork.**_

_**The first-generation Ino-Shika-Cho, consisting of Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara and Chouza Akamichi, became famous for their teamwork in the West. Inoichi Yamanaka had became one of the most feared men in the Imperial Interrogation and Torture Division, with the prisoners preferring Ibiki over the Yamanaka mind reader. But one could not deny the results, as Inoichi got the job done. Shikaku Nara's reputation for his ability to remain impartial and fair in his post within the Ministry of Shinobi Affairs had even brought Iwa and Mist to the West settle a dispute. Aside from being the muscle of the trio, Chouza Akamichi also became famous for the Akamichi restaurant in Kimon, its barbecue becoming famous far and wide. **_

_**The second-generation Ino-Shika-Cho, under the tutelage of Hayate Okajima, also became famous, even more so than their days in Konohagakure no Sato. Shikamaru Nara had married Temari, who had became Suna's permanent representative in Kimon, and had a daughter together. Ino Yamanaka had become a renowned medic-ninja (while working part time at the Interrogation and Torture Division with her father) under the combined tutelage of Karin Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga. She married Haku Yuki and the pair had two children - the eldest with her clan's signature jutsu, and the youngest with Haku's ice abilities. Chouji also married - his wife being a civilian chef at the Akamichi restaurant. The restaurant itself was personally endorsed by the Emperor and Empress Consort, as was the Yamanaka flower shop, mainly by the Empress herself.**_

_**Ibiki Morino became a legend in the Imperial Interrogation and Torture. Aside from Inoichi Yamanaka and Zabuza Momichi, he was the last person any criminal wanted to see. Zabuza had hooked up with Anko Mitarashi. Who'd knew that Zabuza was a sadomasochist?**_

_**Last, was Naruto and Hinata Namikaze. The pair would rule as Emperor for twenty-five years before they decided to step down from their place as Emperor and Empress of the United West. Minato Namikaze and his wife, Makoto Namikaze – formerly a Suna Jounin – to take the throne as the second Emperor and Empress Consort of the Unified West. Like his father, Minato would show that he had been trained well. He would rule the Unified West under a fair and just hand, being a lover of truth and justice.**_

_**Despite not being in line for the throne, Moka Namikaze became the Damiyo of Spring Country. A talented healer and fighter, Moka was named the Fourth Fox Sage by her mother and Kurama. Seeing as how she had a talent for acting and singing, Koyuki Kazahana – known by her stage name of Yukie Fujikaze – had taken Moka under her tutelage. By the time her elder brother had ascended the throne, Moka Namikaze Kazahana – having married Yukie's son Rajin Kazahana – was not only an accomplished warrior, entertainer and healer, but she would go on to rule Spring Country as its Damiyo, Rajin would command Spring Village as its kage. The siblings would remain close for many years.**_

_**Naruto and Hinata Namikaze would become known as 'Father and Mother of the Empire,' a title bestowed upon them in Naruto's sixteenth year as Emperor of the Unified West. With the ascension of Minato Namikaze, the exploits of his father and mother became legend. Naruto and Hinata Namikaze would go on to leave a series of instructions to their successors on how to rule. These instructions were mandatory reading for all heirs to the throne. What was said is now lost to history, but for all purposes, the advice was followed.**_

_**The Namikaze Dynasty would rule until the end of the Shinobi Age. No one knows the whereabouts of their descendants, but one thing is for certain. Their exploits will not be forgotten, as they are recorded in the annals of history. Their descendants have not died out, as they are still alive to this very day, unaware of the legacy that they contain. But as with all legends and tales, it is just waiting to be discovered.**_

**Epilogue: Version B**

"'The Namikaze Dynasty would rule until the end of the Shinobi Age. No one knows the whereabouts of their descendants, but one thing is for certain. Their exploits will not be forgotten, as they are recorded in the annals of history.'"

The speaker was a woman in her late twenties, early thirties. Her audience was a archeology class in Tokyo University. The woman was very voluptuous, her figure showing from her business suit and skirt combination, the pair of black heels on her feet. Short dark hair framed her face, the bangs covering one eye (ala Rosemary's MGS4 hairdo). Her uncovered lavender eye with pupil scanned the captivated audience.

"'Their descendants have not died out, as they are still alive to this very day, unaware of the legacy that they contain. But as with all legends and tales, it is just waiting to be discovered,'" she said as she closed the book from which she was reading from.

One of her students raised her hand. The professor acknowledged it with a nod. "Yes, Miyabi?"

A freshman student asked her question. "Professor Kujikawa, what happened to the refugees from Konoha?"

The professor, one Mayumi Kujikawa, shrugged her shoulders. "No one knows for sure. Once they were on the boat to the unknown continent, they were never heard from again. More than likely, they had assimilated and settled there."

A second student raised her hand. "Professor, how do you know so much about this subject?"

Kujikawa smiled. "I've been into ancient history for as long as I can remember. It's a passion of mine." She raised the book, which was titled History of the Unified West. The book itself was authored by both herself and her husband, who was a famous writer and lecturer of literature. Most people could not agree if it was fact or fiction. But what they did agree on was that it was a very good read.

"The ninja system in both East and West could not escape the changing times, and ended up collapsing," Kujikawa continued, "but the Namikaze Dynasty continued to rule, as they too changed with the times. In the end, it was not an uprising of the people that had brought the Namikaze Clan to ruin."

"So what was it?" Miyabi asked.

"Nature," Kujikawa replied. "Mother Nature herself. The Lahja Mountains were always a volatile region, but in the rein of the last Emperor, Naruto XII Namikaze, the Lahja Mountains erupted, which triggered a massive earthquake. Days later, the Unified West was engulfed in a tsunami, the land sinking into the ocean."

Kujikawa remembered that even all too well. Both her and her husband had assisted in the evacuation of the Imperial Capital, knowing well that the days of the Unified West were numbered. Aside from that, they also pilfered the Namikaze vaults underneath the Imperial Palace using several storage scrolls to seal up the chests of gold, but leaving more than enough cash to their clan, so that they can rebuild once again. They also took family heirlooms, jutsu scrolls and weapons that had been collected over the years.

The reason being? Mayumi Kujikawa was just an alias. One of many in her long life. Her birth name was Hinata Hyuuga, now Hinata Namikaze.

Before another student could ask a question, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. But more importantly, the end of the day. It was time to go home. As the students piled out of the classroom, Hinata sat down in a chair and took a moment to reflect. Her hand rubbed absently on the mark where Naruto had bit her on their wedding night. It was shortly thereafter that Kitami had taken both Naruto and Hinata to the side and explain the totality of the mark.

"As the both of you are mated, you will have fringe benefits. One of which is a long life. The Uzumaki were known for their long lifespans. When the both of you marked each other, that lifespan has increased a thousand fold."

Kurama. Last she heard, the Nine-Tails ran a curio shop in Hokkaido.

They had not aged a day over thirty, resorting to using henges to make themselves look older, or in some cases, relocate to a different area entirely. This was the seventh time that Naruto and Hinata were back in Japan, the last place they spent thirty years in was in Hong Kong, where their descendants from Moka's bloodline resided. Minato's bloodline resided in Japan, and one of them were in Hinata's class.

Of course, aside from Moka and Minato, Naruto and Hinata had countless children over the years. Some of their lines still existed, while others were extinct. Their daughter, Yumi, was a student in elementary school, a recent addition to the Namikaze bloodline. Over the thousands of years, Naruto and Hinata had many occupations from assassin to damiyo to shogun to businessman. It was only recently that Naruto decided to write his memoirs, of which Hinata had been reading to the class.

As for the other Jinchuuriki, they were still alive as well. Utakata, they had left while he was in Hong Kong. Roshi and Han were in Okinawa, Yugito had settled in Seoul, Gaara made his home in the Mojave Desert, posing as an insane survivalist, Bee was somewhere in South America, and Fu made her home in England.

Gathering her things and placing them into a shoulder bag, Hinata had decided that she had spent enough time walking down Memory Lane. Her husband was waiting for her.

* * *

Tokyo University – Campus

He stood in the midst of the students as they walked past him. Six feet tall, with undisciplined reddish hair (ala Chris' RE5 hairdo), blue eyes, his muscular frame hidden underneath the black longcoat and dark business suit. It was winter and the Christmas holidays had just begun. The cold had never really bothered him, being a former Jinchuuriki.

He was known as Takeshi Kujikawa to most people. A respected professor of literature here at Todai, as well as an accomplished writer. But to a select few, he was Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze.

Naruto didn't have to wait long for his wife to make her presence known. Bundled up in her own overcoat and scarf, shoulder bag slung over one shoulder, Hinata Namikaze approached her husband with a smile on her face. "Been waiting long, love?"

"Nah. Just got here, Hime. Ready?" he asked, extending his arm out.

Hinata responded by slipping her arm through Naruto's own. The couple then walked off, until they were just another couple heading home for the holidays. Maybe one day, the Emperor will rise once again to lead, but now, he was just a family man ready to spend the holidays with his wife and daughter.

The legacy of the Namikaze Clan will continue.

END.

So ends Wrath of the Emperor. But there is an omake that I forgot to add in the last chapter. Here is is. Hope you enjoy it.

**OMAKE!**

**Hokuto no Naruto, Part Two**

Snafu's Notes: I forgot to add this in the last chapter.

Sasuke growled as his eyes shifted into the Sharingan. Naruto had played him for a fool yet again. "The Kumite back in the Empire...you designed it solely just to humiliate me?!"

Naruto shook his head. "Actually, I didn't. I just manipulated the tournament so you would end up fighting Rasu. The fact that you managed to get as far as you did was a miracle in itself. You should feel honored, Sasuke. Thanks to me, you will get a place in history as the man who brought about Konoha's downfall. A spiteful, bitter, spoiled Uchiha...although I will gladly take the credit for destroying the Leaf."

Asuma, having been silent for the duration of this confrontation, balked. "You used us. All of us. Just so you could destroy Konoha."

"Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? I sure do. This was something that Hinata and I had came up with while we were fighting in the Unification Wars as a joke. But once we united the lands, we gave it some more serious thought. But before we could deal with the Leaf, there was Obito and the Akatsuki, as they would more than likely come after me for having the bijuu in my possession. Obito invading Suna gave me the excuse needed to go to war, as Suna is an ally. Once Obito and the Akatsuki was wiped out, I could finally focus on Konoha."

Hiruzen had heard enough. Madness in his eyes, he charged at Naruto, as did Asuma, brandishing his bloodied trench knives. However, Kurama intervened. Two of her fox tails had speared the resurrected father and son and lifted them into the air. As the Konoha side watched in horror (save for the two Senju brothers and Orochimaru), Kurama incinerated both men, reducing them to charred bones, the special kunai designed by Orochimaru to control them fell to the ground, charred from the intense heat.

"SENSEI!" Jiraiya shouted in horror.

"Goodbye, Hiruzen Sarutobi," Naruto sniped. "Give my regards to Koharu and Honmura."

Jiraiya, at that moment, saw red. "You...YOU DEVIL!" the enraged super pervert screamed, forming a Rasengan in his hand, and charged at the Emperor, who just simply stood there, the expression on his face was one of boredom. Naruto sidestepped the Rasengan and hooked Jiraiya's arm in an armbreaker hold. Sure enough, Naruto snapped the super-pervert's arm at the elbow, which was followed by...

**THWACK.**

Tsunade's eyes widened, as did those of Sakura, the Senju brothers, Orochimaru and even Sasuke.

The reason being was that Naruto had jammed both his thumbs into Jiraiya's temples.

"What...What did you do to me?!" Jiraiya whispered.

"Nothing fancy," replied Naruto as if he was discussing the weather. "This attack is called Zankaiken, 'The Fist of Penitence.' A simple technique, really. All I did was struck your pressure points in your temple which are called Toi. Want to know what happens when I remove my thumbs, Jiraiya? You will have exactly...seven seconds to live. Once the seven seconds are up, you will split vertically in half and your body will explode. All in all, a very painful death."

"Impossible!"

"You should know by know that I make the impossible possible. Word of advice, Jiraiya: better use those seven seconds to ask for forgiveness for what you had done to my parents and to my clan. Your seven seconds begins..." Naruto paused to remove his thumbs. "Now."

Jiraiya stumbled backwards and fell on his ass.

"Seven seconds, Jiraiya," Naruto said. "Six seconds."

"No...NO!" shouted Jiraiya. "I can't die! Not yet."

"Five seconds."

"I still got so much to do! I have to release the newest Icha Icha! I still haven't peeped on Tsunade without her catching me, let alone get her in bed with me!"

Tsunade looked at him in disgust.

"Three seconds."

"And I still haven't met Murasaki Shibiku!"

"So much for doing the right thing. Time's up. Goodbye, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya froze in place. Then he began to scream as his body gruesomely split in two before exploding in a shower of blood, bone and gore, some of it splattering on Tsunade and Orochimaru. Even Hashirama and Tobirama looked shocked as to what had happened.

"You are getting better at that, Kit," Kurama noted, having used her tails to swat aside pieces of Jiraiya that was sent her way. She then noticed Tsunade charging in, fists raised, ready to knock Naruto's head off while he was distracted.

Kushina noticed this as well, as she quickly reacted. Naruto found himself standing beside his father, while Kushina faced off against Tsunade.

Tsunade Senju was one-third of Konoha's Legendary Sannin. She was a renowned medic-ninja and known not only for her infamous brute strength, but also her bad luck when it comes to gambling. She had relied mostly on her brute strength, and not more on the Senju style of Taijutsu, which she was going to pay for dearly.

"You dare betray me?!" Tsunade shouted as she swung her fists at the Red-Hot Habanero, not noticing that Kushina had casually tapped several pressure points on her wrists.

"You betrayed my family," Kushina replied, her voice calm, but to anyone who knew her Kushina was furious. The Uzumaki never forgive those who betrayed their clan. Including those who had Uzumaki blood in their veins. "For that, you must pay." She then smirked at her aunt. "You really think that you can hit me with those hands?"

That caused Tsunade to stop. She remembered Kushina tapping her wrists as she was dodging her punches. 'No...she...she didn't...!'

Kushina nodded. "Yeah. I did."

Tsunade's fingers began to swell. Then her hands exploded, spraying blood all over, the Godaime Hokage screaming in pain from the sneak attack. But Kushina was not finished. There was a special place in Hell for those who betrayed the Uzumaki, and she was going to send Tsunade there.

"A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-WA-TAH!"

**WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-KA-POW!**

Minato knew what Kushina was capable of. She was not know as the Red Death for nothing. A barrage of rapid-fire punches, hundreds of them from the look of things, struck Tsunade repeatedly before Kushina finished the barrage with a punch to the face, knocking Tsunade down.

Only when did Tsunade got back to her feet, did she notice that something was wrong. Her body jerked violently before her legs began to walk backwards of their own will. "My...my legs! I can't control my legs!"

"Uzumaki-ryuu ougi," Kushina began, "Zankai Sekiho Ken. I struck the Shitsugen pressure point on your body, Tsunade. You will walk backwards without you unable to control your legs. Do me a favor and walk yourself straight into Hell."

"You traitor!" Tsunade screamed.

"I'd be more concerned about what I'm walking into," Naruto said, pointing behind the Godaime.

Tsunade turned around, and saw that she was walking directly towards a burning building. Despite her attempt to get her legs under control, they were in the end, futile. In desperation, she tried to appeal to Naruto. "Naruto! Please! Don't let this happen to me! I'm sorry for betraying you! Please! Show mercy!"

"Sorry," replied the Emperor. "I'm all out of mercy. I ran out of it when you banished me."

Sakura, ever the loyal apprentice tried to stop Tsunade from walking into the burning building. Even until the bitter end, Sakura tried to rescue her mentor...only to end up being burned alive along with her mentor, their screams echoing throughout Konoha as they perished inside the inferno. As Orochimaru was distracted by watching Tsunade die, Minato had snuck around and freed the Senju brothers from Orochimaru's control and allowinf their souls to rest.

"Yo. Snake Man."

Orochimaru turned around...

...and felt two fingers pressed up against his forehead. Looking into the face of Naruto, Orochimaru felt complacent in the fact that as he was immortal, Naruto's attacks would have no effect on him, unlike Jiraiya.

"So," Orochimaru began, "do you really think that you can kill me like you did to Jiraiya? I am immortal!"

"Hidan said the same thing," Naruto replied as he removed his fingers from Orochimaru's skull. "This is the same technique I used to kill him with. It's called Kaikotsu Ken. Let's see how your immortality holds up when your skeleton explodes from your body."

"You're bluffing!"

Unfortunately, Orochimaru soon found out that Naruto was not bluffing. His body began to distort and contort, until finally, his skeleton blew out from the back, the skeleton crashing into a nearby wall, while the rest of his body fell into a heap, the last thing he thought before dying was how in the hell could this happen to him.

So ended the Sannin.

Kurama, on the other hand, got a measure of payback by incinerating Sasuke and Kabuto. When Kakashi tried to use the Sharingan on Kurama, he too was incinerated. So ended the lives of Kabuto yakushi and Sasuke Uchiha once and for all.

"That was so satisfying," Kurama said as she kicked what was Sasuke's skull to the side.


End file.
